Overprotected
by magicmusic
Summary: Her life wasn't perfect but neither were theirs. Then why did four boys need to protect the girl who would just hurt them in the end?
1. Friendly Murders

**Overprotected**

Summery: Her life wasn't perfect, but neither were theirs. Then why did four boys need to protect the girl who would just hurt them in the end?

Chapter 1: Friendly Murders

"I'm going to kill him!" fumed 13-year old Lily Evans, storming down the stairs of her shared dormitory. She looked as mad as she sounded, and anyone in their right mind would not mess with her in this state. She caught the attention of 16-year old Sirus Black who was sitting on one of the plush chairs of the Gryffindor Common Room. Only he would be crazy enough to mess with the little red-head when she was like this.

"What did James do this time, Lily-Flower?" the almost black-haired boy asked, knowing his green-eyed friend all too well. Only James Potter could agitate her to this degree.

"I'm going to kill him!" Lily continued. "Curse every messy hair on that Quidditch-playing kid!"

She paid no attention to Sirus who noted this and got up.

"Woah, Flower. Don't do anything rash," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her over to where Remus Lupin was sitting. The sandy-haired, blue-eyed, 15-year old, had been seated across from Sirus reading the Daily Prophet. Not even looking up, he scooted over, making room on the chair for Lily. Sirus pushed the angry red-head into the char, and she dutifully sat down, still ready to blow her top. At this point, Remus put down his reading material.

"What did James do this time, Lils?" he asked while Sirus stood in front of them. It wasn't unusual for Lily and James to end up in small squabbles, even thought they were friends.

"He…he…he tried to kiss me!" Lily stuttered out eventually. "Again!"

"That little…" Sirus exclaimed. "He, of all people, should know better." And with that, he took off, but not without a quick "Keep her from doing anything stupid!" to Remus; the boys' dormitory in his path.

Lily leaned her head against Remus' shoulder. "I hate him," she said but with a dying passion that only friends could cause.

"He'll do something to redeem himself. He always does," Remus told her, though neither one really need that spoken. After four years, one gets used to the cycle of events.

"Hey! Did I miss anything?" a slightly chubby 15-year old asked, stumbling into the Common Room. Peter Pettigrew was the last member of this little group of five. He took the chair next to the one Lily and Remus were in and looked expectantly at the pair.

"Just another Lily/James argument," Remus answered, like it meant nothing.

Peter laughed. Those happened all of the time. "Have I got a story for you," and he began to ramble off another one of his tales, causing Lily to forget her problems. Remus smiled, knowing their flower was happy again.

In the Boy's Dormitory (which James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter shared), things weren't as laid back.

"What did you think you were doing?" Sirus yelled at his dark-haired, best friend, James Potter. Everyone they met would have sworn the two were twins, the only differences being where as James' hair would never stay in place, Sirus' never seemed to stray from its appointed spot, and James wore black, thick-rimmed glasses. At this moment, those glasses were being pushed (by a head) into a pillow. James couldn't look at his best friend right now; he mumbled something incoherently.

"Of course you weren't thinking." Sirus always understood nonsense murmurs. "We know you fancy her, James, but you can't keep doing these things. Luke'll kill you."

Luke Evans was Lily's extremely overprotective older brother who graduated the year before she entered school. Now and Auror, he still watched over her whenever he could. Only Lily and Luke were magical in their immediate family, the reason why they went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, not your ordinary boarding school.

"I know; don't think I don't know," James Potter moaned flipping over and showing his face for the first time since Sirus had come up. "I just can't help it!"

"Yes, you can!" Sirus replied, in outburst, again, still pacing the length of the room, passing the four beds, one by one. "She's 13 and off limits! When you help enforce that by hexing anyone who so much as looks at her, you better be able to live by your own rule!"

At this point, Sirus stopped pacing and threw himself into his own bed, propping himself up on one elbow. On the next bed, James did the same thing.

"Think I lost her?" the latter one asked.

"Nah," said the former. "You'll bounce back."

"Hey, don't we have a meeting tonight?" chimed James after a while. These two boys, along with Remus and Peter, formed a group know as the Marauders. They were the notorious pranksters of Hogwarts.

Sirus nodded in response. "I don't see why we can't just have in here though. We're all in the Tower."

"One word: Lily," James said, giving his friend a look that clearly said _you should know that_. Out of the four boys, James was, without a doubt, the most protective of Lily.

So after a moment, the two boys bounded down the stairs. The scene in the Common Room was just as they had left it, the only exceptions being a happier Lily and the fact that Peter had joined the group.

"We have a meeting soon," James called as he strolled by, hoping no one would say anything. However, James' wishes seldom came true. Lily stood up to face him.

"James," she began in a tone that stated she was clearly annoyed, "let me come."

"No," he answered, turning to face her like they all knew he would. Sirus stopped and faced the unfolding argument, too.

"Why?" She was angry, not whining or pleading.

"If we've been over this once, we've been over it a million times. We'll be murdered by your brother if we let anything happen to you. Plus, we've got to have at least one with a clean record."

"So you're just using me then." It was more of a statement than actual question. "I come up with more prank ideas than any of you, and I figured out that map's more elusive details. Plus, I found the recipe for the idea you're cooking up now."

"No." James' word was final, and he headed toward the portrait hole, Sirus and Peter on his heels. It wasn't that he didn't want to give Lily the credit for any of those things; she was truly brilliant. It was just that in certain matters, especially those that were illegal, he felt the need to protect her.

Remus got up out of his chair and began his own journey to where the other three were. The hand Lily laid on his arm stopped him.

"I know they're brewing an Animagus potion there, Remus," she said. "And they have more than enough for themselves. Could you nick me some, please? Just enough for two?"

"It won't work yet."

"I can do the rest, it's simple, all proportional."

"How do you know that much? They've never let you in."

"I was the one who found out how to do it. I know it by heart – plus, I saved a copy. Please."

Remus turned away in defeat. "They'll murder me if anything goes wrong."

"Don't worry. This batch is right! Oh, and get some before they put the silver in."

"That'll be hard to…" Remus trailed off realizing what she was getting at. "You're not a werewolf!"

"But you are." She kissed him in a sisterly fashion on his cheek and headed off towards the dormitory staircase. "Thanks!"

Remus shook his head in amazement. He never would have thought that James, Sirus, and Peter would have been willing to break the law to help him with his "ailment" but Lily? That was a different matter entirely. Well, he'd try his best.

It was nearly one in the morning when the four boys stumbled back into the Common Room, hidden under the invisibility cloak James had shown up with on day one. Since no one seemed to be in sight, they pulled the priceless garment off instead of waiting until the safety of their dormitory. Little did they know, someone was in the room with them: Lily Evans, very asleep. Only Remus noticed her as the four passed.

An hour later, he was back, gently shaking the sleeping red-head. Her green-eyes blinked open, sleepily meeting the blue ones before her.

"Here." Remus pushed a vile into Lily's hands. "I hope you know what you're doing; I don't want any letters from your brother looking for my head on a platter."

"I do, don't worry," Lily replied with all the confidence in the world. "I just have to check something with Slughorn."

"Slughorn?!"

"Don't worry. He won't have a clue what we're up to."

"_We_? I don't think I want to get in the middle of this."

"If you don't, I'm sure you'll be sorry."

Remus just looked down at Lily who was almost a full head sorter than he was. She just looked up patiently at her friend.

"If it makes you feel any better," she began coyly, "I can owl my brother and tell him I'm acting out of my own accord."

"And then we'd all be arrested and probably sent to Azkaban!" Remus knew Lily knew she had him cornered.

"Don't worry," she said again as she began to walk toward the boys' dormitory (to which her own room was attached), "it'll go smoothly."

_Don't worry_ Remus thought bitterly. _Easy words for you; you're not the monster._ Then he said aloud: "Lily, you might now want to go in now; if they hear you door open, you know Sirus or James'll wake up."

"You're right, as always," she sighed and came back to sit on the couch once more. "How will you get back in then?"

"Peter's the only one who would possibly wake up at the sound of our door opening. Besides, I thought I left my cloak down here earlier."

"You're brilliant," she replied sarcastically. "And you had to do this at two-thirty in the morning?"  
"Well, we just got back a while ago anyway."

"Go figure, James wants you to pull an all-nighter with potions first thing."

Remus laughed and shook his head. "If I'm not mistaken, someone else here has stayed up all night over books."

"That wasn't illegal, and it was only because I had been helping all of you the whole week before."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to sleep," Remus said hugging Lily. "Night, Lils."

He turned his back on the younger girl and headed toward his dormitory where he hoped three boys would be sleeping. Lily just watched him go, then she too turned but made her way to the Portrait Hole. One of the perks of living in a magical castle was the secrete passage ways. She knew another way into her room.


	2. Silver Essence

**Overprotected**

Chapter 2: Silver _Essence_

Gryffindors and Slytherins had had potions together for as long as anyone could remember. The class was in one of the lower classrooms in the dungeons where the Slytherin Common Room was rumored to be located.

Horace Slughorn, Potion Master, did not lend easily to the typical stereotype of a Slytherin (which he had been and was head of). He was jolly and outgoing instead of closed and secretive, which his students would have loved, if he didn't play favorites. Students which he thought had exceptional talent would be taken under his wing. Lily was one of the lucky (or unlucky, depending on your perspective) ones. This did however give her an advantage over the others in what she was about to attempt.

"Lily, my dear," Professor Slughorn greeted the younger child. "What can I do for you today?"

"Hello, Professor," she smiled, looking at her walrus-like Professor. All the students had quickly filed out of the classroom as soon as they were dismissed, eager to eat. Only Remus had given Lily a second glance as he left. "I was doing some research after that lesson you gave on silver, and I believe I've found a substitute."

"A substitute?! For silver?! It's nearly impossible to create one with all the same properties but doesn't cause a reaction."

"Here, I brought it with me." Lily pulled a vial out of her bag marked with some strange symbol. The liquid inside was very silver in color, but had gold flakes swirling around in it. She handed it to the older man, who looked at it with a curious delight. "As you know, there's a certain spell that causes anything that is in direct contact with silver to shimmer blue for a moment. So, if I perform that spell now," Lily waved her wand and mumble a simple charm, "you can see that there is no blue in sight."

She was right. The bottle, which the Potions Master expected to at least hint of blue was still completely clear.

"It seems, Lily, my girl, you're right. Not a trace of sliver," Professor Slughorn said becoming excited. Lily basked under the praise. "But does it work?"

"Why don't you try it out yourself?"

He did just that. Right before her eyes, Lily watched the master get to work. A simple sleeping potion was all that he seemed to be cooking up, but that was enough to test. After about half and hour, he was done and grabbed a frog out of the cage that was positioned on the desk. Quickly, the potion went down the animal's throat, and just as quickly, it was asleep.

"Well, look at that," he said with wonder. "I don't believe it. Not a trace of silver and still works like a charm. We've found real talent here. Do you have the recipe for this; I'm sure the Headmaster would love a look."

Lily grabbed a piece of parchment out of her bag and handed it to the Professor. Like always, she had a copy; she was going to need it.

"Well, Professor, I really must go. My friends will worry if I'm too late for lunch." In her head, Lily rolled her eyes; she wasn't planning on even making an appearance at lunch today.

"Oh, of course, Miss Evans. Mind if I keep this sample?"

"Sure. It only takes thirty minutes to brew. Good day, Professor!" Lily called as she headed out the door. Once in the hall, she gave a shout, throwing her hands up and leaping right off the floor. Then, all of her books in tow, the small Gryffindor ran all the way back to the Common Room and up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. She expected the room to be completely deserted (as it was lunch and "growing boys need their energy," as Sirus always put it), but instead, sandy-haired Remus was sitting on his bed. Lily was suddenly swamped by the feeling that he had been waiting for her.

"How long have you been up here?" she questioned.

He shrugged. "I went down for a bite to eat then told them I fancied going to the library. They'll never doubt that. So what are _you_ here for?"

"It worked," she answered mysteriously, opening the door that connected her room to theirs. (Professor McGonagall had moved her here in her third year in the school, much to the delight – most of the time – of all five. Everyone knew that none of the boys would ever dare to hurt her.) Remus followed Lily in. In one corner was a desk, papers strewn all over the place, books filled every bit of spare floor space, and parchment littered the rest. To anyone who knew Lily, this would be quite expected (though maybe in a neater fashion). The only thing that seemed out of place was the classic four-poster bed, draped in crimson. No one would be able to put their finger on the reason, but Lily could tell you that it was because it was the only tidy object in the room, hardly ever being put to use. At first, one wouldn't notice the potion simmering in the corner, but by taking off a simple charm, Lily could quickly make it visible.

"What, exactly, worked?"

"This," said Lily with a triumphant grim, holding up a vile of silvery matter, an exact copy of what she had shown Professor Slughorn.

"Silver?" asked the werewolf suspiciously.

"Silver _essence_. Not a trace of silver in it but still works like a charm. Slughorn verified that fifteen minutes ago. Go on, give it a try."

Remus cautiously took what the red-head held out to him. Silver wasn't exactly lethal to him, not in human form anyway, but it would cause severe burns. As he put his hands around the container, he expected to feel them heat up. They didn't. Slowly, the cap was removed, and Remus put his finger closer and closer to the slivery liquid.

"Do you know any healing?" he asked, his finger hovering above the essence.

"Minor charms," Lily answered. "You won't need them."

"I'm holding you to that."

"Just go already!"

Closing his eyes, Remus stuck his finger in. As it was submerged, he expected pain, but none came. He opened his eyes to Lily with another triumphant look on her face.

"You're amazing!" he exclaimed and hugged her, after putting all he was holding down. "Where did you find this? As far as I know, there aren't any know substitutes."

"Now there are," she replied with a grin. "Slughorn was impressed too, more than he wanted to admit."

"You came up with this?"

Lily turned away and mumbled, "Yeah."

"You're brilliant!"

She started blushing and began to busy herself with the potion so she didn't have to show her face.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Remus asked.

"Actually, yes," Lily replied. "We have a free period, and I need you to keep the boys away from here."

"That'll be difficult, especially since you weren't at lunch. They'll want to make sure you're okay."

"That's why you have to do this for me. Tell them you saw me in the library earlier, whatever. I just need half an hour."

"I'll try my best, Lils," Remus said turning to leave, but she didn't even hear him, already working furiously on the potion in front of her, muttering to herself.

Remus shook his head, knowing she didn't notice him anymore, and he exited her room going into his own dormitory. He grabbed the first book his eyes fell on. After all, James and Sirus weren't exactly the most enlightened people to talk to, and nothing was to say they'd even be in the Common Room; they were pranksters after all. So, with book in hand, he walked out of the room. Remus saw the three from the stairs, sitting in front of the fire, as they always did.

"Hey, Remus!" one called. He suspected it was Peter.

"Where've you been?" another asked, Sirus probably.

"Library, like I said," Remus answered. "Then came back here to get some work done."

"Have you seen Lily lately?" This one was bound to come from James.

"She didn't show up at lunch?" Remus pretended he had no clue where their flower was.

"No."

"That's odd. I didn't see her leave Slughorn's room."

"I'm sure she'll show up, mate," Sirus said, clapping James on the back. "You know she won't miss McGonagall's class."

Forty minutes later, Lily came out of her room. She had been trying to get the fumes out of her room, and it had taken a little longer than anticipated. Plus, her robes had splashes of silver and other ingredients, so she had to change them, or they would know she had been up to something. Standing on the stairs, she saw the same scene Remus had only with one addition. He was sitting on the edge so maybe she would say thanks without the rest noticing. They looked a little out of it anyway.

Quietly, Lily glided over to her sandy-haired friend. Just as she got there, a voice stopped her.

"Lily! We haven't seen you all day!"

"You saw me in potions, Black." Surnames came into play when the petit red-head was angry (he did blow her cover), usually preferring to use those than blow her top. It worked, most of the time.

"You weren't at lunch, and the free period's more than half way over. Where've you been, Flower?" Sirus tried this time.

"I was–"

"Slughorn's room," James interjected quickly. "Then you disappeared. Checked the library; only Remus."

"And how do you know?"

"New technology, Lily dear."

"You've been spying on me again?! I tell you, Potter, I helped create that map. I could destroy it, too!"

"You wouldn't dare!" There were collective gasps all around.

"Or I could just take myself off it," Lily finished with a triumphant air. "So, watch it, Potter!"

Lily stormed out of the Common Room, even the older students jumping out of her way. The four Marauders just watched her go, not one of them daring to follow her. Suddenly, James sprung up.

"I wouldn't–" Sirus had on the tip of his tongue.

"I'm not," James answered before his friend could finish. "I'll be at the pitch."

He was talking about the Quidditch Pitch. Lately, any time James got upset or angry, he would disappear to there for hours.

"Have you noticed that these spats are getting worse and worse?" Remus questioned once James had left.

"They'll mope for days," Peter put in. "Even I can see that!"

"Exactly. And James doesn't bounce back as quickly in Lily's eyes anymore," Sirus added. "They're more frequent, too. Three already this week!"

"He's taking the protecting a little too seriously," Remus continued.

"He's still afraid of Luke!" Peter blurted out suddenly. The other two just started, and Peter stared to doubt his answer.

"Pete, you're right!" Sirus said with astonishment.

"Aren't we all, though?" Remus asked after a minute. "Six years older and an Auror. Who wouldn't be?"

"True, anyone would have to be crazy not to, but James does fancy her. How would that look to Luke if he let anything happen?" Sirus shed more light on the situation.

That question hung in the air. What else could be said that they hadn't before? It was true though. In their first year, the four boys had looked up to Luke Evans, seventh year, Prefect. When they found out he had a sister coming in the next year, they vowed to take her under their protective wings. Luke was skeptic. After all, they were already causing trouble back then. He didn't want to hear about his favorite sister ending up as a victim. So they gave him promise after promise, and he threatened to hex their heads off if Lily told him anything even slightly negative. That next year was when this unbreakable bond of friendship was formed. Lily, of course, was terrified when these four older boys snatched her away from her brother, but he reassured her with a smile and a wave that it would all be okay. That's how these five friends came to be.

"Should someone go get James?" questioned Peter after a good elapse of time.

"Why?"

"Well, it's storming and there's only 20 minutes 'till McGonagall's class."

"Good idea, Pete," Remus praised. "Who'll go get him?"

"I'll go," Sirus said simply. "She'll expect me to be late anyway."  
With that, the dark-haired, dark-eyed boy left the Common Room. Remus turned to the only one left.

"Come on. We might as well start to get ready to go."

"With 20 minutes left?" Peter asked.

"To see if we can spot Lily." At that, Peter jumped up and headed into their dormitory. Remus followed, a little more slowly but just as eager. As soon as the two were ready, they ventured into the great castle, walking in the direction of the Transfiguration room but keeping their eyes open for Lily the whole time.


	3. Silence in the Classroom

**Overprotected**

Chapter 3: Silence in the Classroom

The Transfiguration class was silent today. Minerva McGonagall had thought that very strange until she had noticed that Sirus and James were out. Normally, she expected them to be late, but the class was past its midpoint already. James was her best pupil, and it wasn't like him to miss her class.

Remus and Peter had noticed the absence too. Either it had proven harder to move James off the Pitch than anyone had thought, or he wasn't there so the whole castle had to be searched.

As far as Lily was concerned, the two lighter-haired boys had seen no trace of her going to their class and had even ducked into the library. It turned out that Lily was already in the classroom. She had chosen the most secluded seat so Remus and Peter didn't even try to get closer. Professor McGonagall's voice snapped them out of their individual thoughts.

"Please finish copying what's on the board then begin practicing this new concept. The spell will remain on the board and what you should observe. This had always been on the OWLs; I don't see why they would change it now."

The classroom suddenly became a whirlwind of activity and noise. Minerva didn't mind this; it was why she gave them practice time. As long as they did their work, she didn't mind them interacting. Then, something caught her eye: Lily Evans hadn't moved over to the two other boys. It was unusual enough that they weren't all sitting together in the first place, but this was just out of the ordinary. Maybe there just hadn't been enough seats together. After all, most of the students, including Lily, Remus, and Peter, had been in the classroom and seated before she arrived.

"Mr. Lupin, Miss. Evans," Professor McGonagall called. The period was nearing its end, and most of the students were quite frustrated at this point. Those two, finished, looked up. "I would like to see both of you after class. Please wait around. Class dismissed."

Most of the fifth years quickly made their way out of the room where they had been shut up. Peter looked uncertainly at Remus as if to ask _Do you want me to wait_? Remus gestured for him to go to dinner and walked up to the front of the room where Lily was already waiting with their professor.

"First off," she started when both of her students were there, "I want to congratulate you both on your excellent performance today in class, which ran rather smoothly." She raised her eyebrows, slightly. "Have either of you seen Mr. Potter or Mr. Black lately. I wouldn't expect for them to cut my class."

At the mention of James and Sirus, Lily involuntarily looked away. Knowing that she would never answer, Remus covered their absence.

"They weren't feeling well, Professor."

"Well, when they're feeling better, please send them to me." Professor McGonagall looked skeptic but continued anyway. "Also, my original purpose for this is to inform you that there will be a meeting tonight. My office, as always, 8:00. Any questions?"

"No, professor," they both said.

"Very well, you may go. I shall see you at dinner I presume."

Both Lily and Remus turned and grabbed their books. Remus, having had a seat closer to the door, was out first. Wanting to catch Lily, he waited just outside of the classroom. She came out a moment later, and they fell into step together.

"So how's the potion coming?" Remus asked. Though he didn't want to get involved in anything illegal, he had to admit, he was growing excited.

"It has to sit another week before I can do anything else to it," Lily said wearily.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked with concern, hearing the strain in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine…just tired."

She had used this a million times; Remus saw right through it. "What have you got to be stressed about?"

"Nothing, I'll be fine. Just want the potion to turn out right."

"The fumes aren't building up in your room, are they?"

"No, I found a way to ventilate it. They're getting out."

At this point, Lily turned to go in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower. Remus grabbed her arm.

"No, come to the Great Hall. You skipped lunch after all."

She let herself be pulled down towards where he wanted to lead her. As they walked into the Hall, the noise completely overtook the two of them, and Remus was pleased to see Peter seated with James and Sirus. He steered Lily over in that direction; she didn't protest.

"Hey, guys," Remus said, sitting down. Lily collapsed into the seat next to him on one of the long wooden benches and leaned against him. Sirus gave Remus a questioning look, and Remus mouthed, _Talk to me later_ nodding his head in James' general direction. Both Lily and James seemed a bit out of it today, James just picking at his food, not noticing that nothing was making its way to his mouth. "Long day?"

"You have no idea," Sirus muttered quietly.

"So what did McGonagall want?" chirped Peter.

"Prefect meeting later," Remus answered. "It's odd though, they're usually all scheduled. Maybe we'll have a dance."

A dance?" Sirus asked hopefully. "We haven't had one of those for ages!"

"Well, it's only a slim chance." Remus didn't want rumors to spread. "Oh. She also said she wants to see you and James, here, after you're feeling better."

"Better?" Sirus inquired.

"Yeah, I told her you two weren't feeling well, and that's why you missed class. Let James in on the plan where he's a little more…here."

"Yeah sure. Rough day."

Later, after dinner, once James and Lily had been coxed into bed, Sirus, Remus, and Peter sat in their unofficial spot in front of the Common Room fire.

"So what was the meeting about?" asked Peter, the first one to speak up once Remus and Lily had returned.

"Ball," Remus answered, knowing he had guessed right again. "After the Holidays though. Dumbledore wants to let the students go home who would want to go to the ball but also want to see their families. Plus it gives people more time to shop and us more time to plan it."

"Do you know the date?" Sirus had his own question and was getting that mischievous spark in his eyes. This had made him forget about what he had really wanted to talk to Remus about.

"Not exactly, but they were thinking about end of January, early February. Maybe Valentine's Day if we play our cards right."

"You know what this calls for?"

"Not until James is here. You know he'd kill us."

"I don't' think he'll be able to do anything in his present state," Peter laughed.

"But he won't stay like this forever."

"Well, get ideas boys," Sirus jumped in, "the Marauders are back in business!"


	4. Problem Letters

**Overprotected**

Chapter 4: Problem Letters

It was the middle of November, and Lily Evans found herself in the Owlery. Sure, it was a little more than a bit nippy, but she didn't mind. It gave her a place to think without anyone interrupting her. Besides, she got letters from her brother quite frequently up here. (He never sent them so they arrived with the morning Owl Post.) As if on cue, a medium-sized brown owl came into her view. As he got closer, Lily saw the black dots with lines spreading out from them that characterized him as Luke's.

"Spoke!" Lily cried as the creature perched on her shoulder, a letter attached to his leg. He was named thus because the patterning on his coat looked just like what he was called. "You have a letter for me?" The owl seemed to nod in assurance. Lily untied the message from his leg. Spoke hooted happily and flew off to one of the owl boxes up by her head. A letter from Luke; Lily opened it quickly.

_Lily-Bean, _(She smiled. Just that could make her day better.)

_How are you, kid? I hope those boys aren't bothering you. Things here at the Ministry are just starting to speed up. The exact opposite of how it was at Hogwarts. _(What's he talking about? All the teachers are trying to cram in last-minute assignments.) _I've been assigned quite a bit over the Holidays so I won't be around much. That's why I need you to stay at Hogwarts. Don't go home. I'll be making a stop there anyway so I'll see you, kid. Happy Holidays!_

_Love,_

_Luke_

_P.S. As always, write back. And write to Mum; she's been owling me constantly to know how you are!_

Lily crumpled the letter up, threw it on the ground, and stepped on it. Then she hastily picked it up and tried to smooth out the wrinkles as she realized what she had just done.

_How could he?_ she thought angrily. _He knows he's the only real family I have left! And now I have to stay at Hogwarts over break. I look forward to the time I sped with him. I don't care if it's Ministry business; that's never kept him before!_

Fuming, Lily stormed out of the Owlery and down toward the Tower. She spat the password at the Fat Lady, who didn't ask any questions as she swung noiselessly open. Lily didn't even notice the four boys as she brushed past them, not even hearing their "Hey, Lily"s, as she marched up the dormitory stairs. Once in her room, she threw herself on her bed and pulled out the letter box under it. Pushing Luke's letter in, she took out some of the paper he brother had gotten her last Christmas, knowing her love for stationary. Quill in hand, she began to write to her Mum:

_Dear Mum, Dad, and Petunia,_

_Luke said you were having a fit and advised me to write, so here I am._

_Everything here is fine. (Hope everything's just as well with all of you.) School is the same as always. We learned a new concept in Transfiguration. Remus and I were just about the only ones to get it right. I'm sure James and Sirus would have, too, had they been in class – we got in a bit of a fight; James stalked off, and Sirus went to find him. James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter are fine, too, if you were wondering._

_Professor Dumbledore had decided to let us have a ball in January or February. We have a lot of planning to do. Especially since we haven't had one this year yet._

_On another note, I'll be staying at Hogwarts for the Holidays. Luke has a bunch of work to do. Don't worry, I'll send your gifts as usual._

_Happy Holidays._

_Love, _

_Lily_

As Lily signed her name at the bottom of the page, she realized just how stupid this was. Her parents hadn't written to here once this year, no matter how many letters she had sent them. They were too wrapped up in Petunia. So she decided to start a letter to the one person who did care: her brother.

_Dear Luke,_

_I'm fine. The boys haven't been a problem at all. It's a shame to hear that things at the Ministry are speeding up; the teachers here have been doing the same to us._

_We had a Prefect Meeting a week or so ago. We're going to have a ball, maybe for Valentine's Day if we play our cards right. No doubt one of the boys will take me. They're so overprotective, I swear. Kind of like you._

_Well, I'll see you soon._

_Lily_

_P.S. Mum never actually wrote, did she? I know what you're trying to do, Luke, and it's not going to work. I know you're trying to make us a family again, but they were the ones who pulled away first. That's why I stay with you remember?_

With that, Lily sealed both letters. She didn't know why, but she would send the one to her parents, make them remember they have two daughters maybe.

On her way out of the Common room, Lily noticed the four boys, only this time, they took no notice of her. They were leaning over what would appear, at first glance to be an old piece of parchment. Lily knew it was their map of the castle, enhanced to show the secret passage ways in and out and marked with labeled dots to give away anyone's whereabouts. What she didn't know, though, was that a single pair of eyes _had_ indeed seen her pass and proceeded to follow the ink spot marked "Lily Evans".

The girl marked with that spot made her way up to the Owlery once again. Seeing as Spoke was still there, she decided to give him the letter for Luke. Her own owl, Petal, a snowy white creature with just a hit of pink, wasn't in the tower so she gave the letter for her parents to one of the school's owls that looked particularly friendly. Lily stood in the window watching the two birds disappear. Still a bit annoyed, she leaned against the nearest wall, wondering if her brother knew how much she was going to miss coming home. If it was Ministry work that was going to keep her away, it was most likely a Death Eater raid – or attempt. They would go into some neighborhood (preferable Muggle) and kill anyone they could lay their hands on. Luke was always afraid they would come after him at home, which was probably why he wanted her to stay at Hogwarts. Lily didn't care if they came while she was around; after all there was a reason they let her start a year early and skip a year. (Not that she thought she could take on too many fully trained Death Eaters, but she wasn't completely defenseless like Luke seemed to make her out to be.)

As soon as the two birds were out of sight, Lily made her way back to the dorms. Once she got into the Common Room, she went over to James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter who were still leaning over the Marauders' Map. A chorus of "Hey"s (and one "Hey, Lily-Flower" from Sirus) greeted her. James looked up.

"So how long does it take to send a letter?" he asked.

"James," Remus tried to warn while Sirus' and Peter's heads shot up.

"You know what, Potter?" Lily spat angrily. After the letter she had received and that two she had had to write, she was in no mood for this. "I don't need you keeping track of my whereabouts! I can take care of myself! This really is the final straw!" With that, Lily pointed her wand at herself and whispered something none of the boys could hear. Nothing seemed to happen.

"What did you do?" James asked frantically, thinking maybe she had cursed herself.

Only Peter had the good sense to look down at the Map.

"Guys," he said, timidly, drawing their attention, "she took herself off the Map."

"What?" James roared.

"I told you I'd do it!" Lily spat back, still fuming.

"I just don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want any reason for your brother to curse me across the ocean and back." James' voice suddenly became a little softer.

"Find yourself someone else to protect; I don't need it!"

Lily turned on her heal and sped up the boys dormitory steps into her own room. Once the door was safely locked she got out a notebook (brought from home) and continued brainstorming an idea she had for Christmas presents for the four. Only a few glitches had to be worked out and the theory put to test, but she was almost positive that this was right. They would be able to spy on her behind her back anymore.

Lily surprised herself by going down to dinner that night. Once in the Great Hall, she took a seat on the edge of the four boys, getting herself as far away from James as possible, which landed her next to Remus.

Something seemed different today. No one noticed as she sat down: James, Sirus, and Peter were huddled together whispering quietly but excitedly, and Remus had secluded himself, using a rather large book to shut the world out. If that in itself wasn't something to set off warnings, there was something different in the way the three talking boys were holding themselves; there seemed to be even more pride burning in their faces. To the untrained eye, all of this would have seemed normal, but after living with them for four years, Lily could tell. She figured Remus would know so she tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Oh, hey, Lils," he greeted, putting down his book, surprised. "I didn't see you there."

_Obviously_, Lily thought but said aloud, "I just got here. What's with them?"

The look on Remus' face clearly said _I'll tell you later_. Suddenly, Lily knew exactly what they were so proud of and why they weren't including Remus in their plans. She pushed her plate aside and stood up.

"I'm done," she said to Remus. "I'm going to the library; I'll probably be there for a while."

"They won't notice if we both leave," Remus told her, taking the hint. "I'll come with you."

He, too, got up, and both of them walked out of the Great Hall. Neither James nor Sirus nor Peter saw them come or go and just kept on conversing while Lily and Remus made their way through the castle.

"They've done it, haven't they?" Lily inquired of Remus as soon as they were away from anyone.

"The potion and the spell both," Remus answered. "Right before dinner. Don't be surprised if the new nicknames slip."

"Nicknames?"

"Yeah. Apparently 'The Marauders' isn't enough; they need something individual, too."

"It's probably so they can talk about it without anyone getting suspicious."

"They're planning something already, for the next full moon, but they won't let me in on it."

"With them, that's never a good sign. It's probably something that is very illegal and that you won't remember in the morning."

"I know they're coming out to the Willow, in any case. Don't know what good it'll do, though truthfully."

"Animals can pacify each other, that's why we're all trying this."

"I'm no animal; I'm a beast." A dark shadow was cast over Remus' face. Lily reached up to hug her friend.

"It's only a 'fury, little problem,' as James says." At her own mention of the messy-haired, hazel-eyed boys, her look darkened, too, but it caused Remus to lighten up a bit.

"Come one, Lils. Aren't you the least bit curious what they are?"

"I suppose so." Begrudgingly.

"Well, James is a stag: a very handsome, white one, Sirus is a large, black dog: almost a grim, and Peter's a rat."

"A rat? That's a let down, for sure."

"Actually, he's rather proud because he's the one who gets to freeze the Willow."

"Come to think of it, he does rather look like a rodent, pointy nose and everything. Guess it's to be expected."

"So how soon will yours be done?"

They had just reached the library. Knowing their strict librarian wouldn't want them in there just talking, Lily and Remus wordlessly agreed to continue walking around.

"It'll be another week," Lily answered. "So it won't be ready for Thursday's moon."

"That's probably better anyway. They won't get suspicious. The next one after that is during the Holidays."

"Are you going home?"

"Yeah. I want to see my parents; they're really supportive with this whole thing. Are you?"

Lily looked hesitant then answered very vaguely, "Depends on the schedule." She already knew she wasn't but for some reason, didn't want to tell him. Quickly, she changed the subject. "Why had James been acting so…differently lately?"

Remus took a deep breath as if preparing himself for a blow. "It's a bit complicated, Lily. He cares about you a lot–"

"But so do the rest of you," Lily interjected. Remus ignored this comment and kept on talking.

"–and just wants to see you safe and happy."

"I can take care of myself."

"He really looked up to Luke when we were in first year and still does. He took such an interest in you when Luke would brag about how you got to come in a year early – the whole castle must have known."

Lily was touched. She had always known Luke was happy to have one of his sisters turn out a witch, but she had never realized how proud he was. Remus kept going.

"But Luke was also worried. Because James was so interested, Luke thought that we were just planning to prank you, to really intimidate you since you were going to be two years younger. And he was afraid other kids would take advantage of your age since again, the whole castle pretty much knew you were going to be a year younger. That's why James wants to protect you. He got your brother worried and has to live up to what he promised."

Lily just kept walking but in complete silence. She had never heard this story and didn't actually know that much about her brother's time at Hogwarts. Torn between being flattered and quite annoyed, Lily finally spoke up.

"Can't he see that I can protect myself?"

"He's never given you that chance."

It was true; anyone would try to talk to her for some non-school related purpose (but mostly just the male population) would end up in the Hospital Wing, and James would be going to detention the next night. If any of the Slytherins said something dirty to her or insulted her heritage, James (and many times, Sirus) would be right there. She had never really thought about it before; that's the way it always had been. As a first year, totally intimidated by everyone around her, Lily had just been glad to not have to deal with the older students. Now, however, it couldn't be justified anymore. She was, after all, a fifth year, too. Surely, she should be able to take care of herself by now.

"Doesn't James realize that I'm a fifth year now, too? I got in early and skipped a year, shouldn't that count for something? After all, wouldn't that make students who would be a year ahead of me my equals?"

"See, James doesn't see it that way. The kids still know you're two years younger than everyone else at this level. He's afraid they'll hurt you."

"He won't be there forever. There's trouble out there already. My brother stops raid of those Death Eaters. After school, we're all going to be sucked up into it."

"He's going to do whatever he can to keep you safe."

"That doesn't excuse what he does, how he taunts Snape, how he'll hex anyone in the halls." There was a brief pause. Lily expected Remus to say something, but he never did. "And you just let him do it." Her tone wasn't accusing, just disappointed.

"Lily–"

"I'll see you around, Remus. It should be ready in about a week."

Right there, in the middle of a deserted corridor, she left, heading in some unknown direction. Remus just kept walking. Dumbledore had made him a Prefect in hopes that he would control his friends a bit. She had a right to be disappointed: he had been allowed to come here, and he had a group of friends who accepted him without question. He had to never fail them.


	5. Until Daybreak

**Overprotected**

Chapter 5: Until Daybreak

_Lily,_

_I don't recall owling your brother, nor am I "having a fit." Of course you'll be staying at school for the Holidays; don't you always?_

_Petunia has a new boyfriend: Vernon Dursley. He's a very respectable man. Already, he's looking for a job along with school. Petunia's sure he's the one. Isn't that wonderful?! She's planning her wedding, and we've talked about a house. It'll be absolutely lovely and perfect in every way. I know we'll love it._

_You're father also recently got a promotion. Isn't that news! Well, I must go, Petunia's calling!_

_Mum_

Lily sighed. She should have known better than to write to her mum. It was hopeless. They didn't have time for her anymore, and what was even better, there was a little note added onto the end:

_Freak,_

_Don't bother writing. Mum and Dad don't care about you and your abnormalities. Just leave us alone!_

_Petunia_

Sighing again, Lily curled herself up tighter in one of the couches of the Common Room. Tears weren't quite coming to her eyes, but she was feeling miserable. Just as she was about to note the absence of her "protectors," she saw a slightly chubby body walk in and take the seat in front of her.

"Hey, Pete," she greeted, almost tiredly.

"Hi, Lily," Peter answered. "I was wondering if maybe you could help me with something. You see, I'm having trouble with this Charms essay, and I know you're the best…"

"Sure, I'd love to."

For the next twenty minutes, Lily and Peter sat, going over the material they had just started in Professor Flitwick's class. Even if he wasn't the brightest or bravest, Peter could always cheer Lily up and make her forget her worries. She was grateful because she didn't have to think. Unfortunately, it didn't last forever.

"Thanks, a lot, Lily," Peter said grabbing the essay while standing up. "I think I've got it. I can finish this later."

Sadly, Lily watched him leave. As soon as she was alone once more, she curled back up into a little ball. The numbness her mind had been given while concentrating on her favorite class was replaced by the despair that the letter had brought with it. This time, a few tears leaked out of her eyes, and pretty soon, the arms of her robes were soaked.

Just then, more movement caught her eye. It was James. She hoped he wouldn't notice, but she hastily wiped the tears out of her eyes before resting her chin on her knees.

"Hey, Flower," he greeted, as soon as he was her, coming over to where she was.

"Hi, James," she replied.

"Look, you haven't seen Sirus around anywhere lately, have you?

"No, sorry."

James turned to leave, but something about Lily's appearance pulled him back. He sat down next to her and tried to put his arms around her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern filling his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled, willing no tears to fall, afraid he would see them.

"Are you sure? You don't look so good."

Lily didn't answer but prayed that he would just leave her alone. He didn't.

"Nothing's wrong?" James asked again, not knowing how hard he was making it for Lily.

"No!" she shouted, having enough then jumped up and ran to her room. Sirus made his entrance as she was leaving.

"What did you do to her this time, James?" he asked jokingly, sitting down.

"Nothing!" James exclaimed becoming defensive. "I was looking for you so asked Lily. She was clearly upset: her robe sleeves looked wet and her eyes were all red, like she'd been crying. I just asked her if anything was wrong. She yelled, and well, you saw the rest."

"What could possible be that bad?"

James shook his head as to say _I don't know_ and continued to stare off into space. After a few moments of silence, something struck Sirus' memory.

"You said you were looking for me."

"Oh, yeah." At this, James' manor grew considerable brighter, and he laid out his ideas before the other boy.

Tonight was a full moon, and Lily Evans was where she had been for every other one during her time at Hogwarts. Sitting on her bed, looking out the one window she had, she was grateful that it faced the Forbidden Forest, now more than ever. Remus would already be out there, in the Shrieking Shack, by now, and James, Sirus, and Peter would soon be making their way to the Whomping Willow, under the Invisibility Cloak. She could have known exactly when they were going out by watching for ghost footsteps in the snow and then three animals at the base of the massive tree, but quite frankly, she didn't want to know. So instead, she watched the moon rise, knowing that as soon as it's reflected light shone into the Shack, Remus would be a different animal all together.

Every night like this, Lily attempted to stay awake until the moon sunk beneath the horizon, but she had never made it. Tonight, just as she was slipping into sleep, the world of blissful unconsciousness, a piercing shriek reached her ears. Lily bolted straight up, almost hitter her head on the side of the window.

_They let him out?!_ she thought, shocked. She only knew because she had never heard his cry before; he was never this close. _Don't think know how dangerous that is? They'll be out of school faster than they can say "Merlin's beard" if anyone gets hurt._

All night, Lily kept hearing the screams (and an occasional bark) which kept her from sleeping. For once, she kept awake until the moon set.

The next day, during lunch, Lily snuck up to the Hospital Wing. James, Sirus, and Peter, after running around all night, were all out of sorts and wouldn't miss her presence at all. Making sure Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight, she crept toward the most secluded bed with the curtains drawn and slipped inside. Remus looked a little more battered than usual, but it didn't look like the usual teeth and claw marks. He looked happier, too.

"Hey, Rem," she greeted. "How're you doing?"

"Hi, Lils," he answered amiably, not like the usual moodiness that accompanied these cycles. "She says I might be let out today if I'm good."

"Today?" Lily sunk from her knees to sit cross-legged on the end of the bed. "Why? She never lets you go this early."

"I know, but I'm not complaining. She said something about being more peaceful this month."

"Do you remember what happened last night?"

"Only bits of it. For some odd reason, I remember wind and the sight of trees."

"They let you out."

Remus was silent for a moment and looked like he was eternally debating with himself. Finally he spoke again:

"Lily, if it makes things easier, I don't care."

"But you could have hurt someone!"

"Don't throw that at me!" he yelled, but it was too late. With her last statement, Lily had jumped up and ran out of the Hospital Wing. He had failed her again.

Lily's feet took her back to the Common Room once she left Remus. Upon entering and only seeing Sirus and Peter, she went to sit with them.

"Hey, Lily-Flower," Sirus said as she squeezed into the seat with him while Peter greeted, "Hi, Lily."

"Hi, Sirus, Peter," she replied gloomily. Sirus noted the down-beat note of her voice and put his arm around her shoulders in a comforting way.

"What's wrong, Flower?" he asked.

"Nothing, I was just talking to Remus."

"Did he say anything about–" Peter squeaked out before Lily cut him off. Sirus gave him a disapproving look.

"I knew already. Don't worry; he didn't let out your secret. I figured it out the day you guys completed it."

"How?"

"I've lived with the four of you for four years. I can tell when something's different."

The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes. In some ways, Lily felt better than she had after running out of the Hospital Wing, but in other ways, she felt so much worse.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend, Flower?" Sirus asked suddenly.

"Yeah, I need a few things before the Holidays," Lily answered. "Is there a little odds and ends shop there?"

"Of course, it's the first thing you pass. Haven't you been paying attention?" he joked.

"I've never been."

Sirus and Peter just stared at her as Sirus' mouth slowly fell open.

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Lily threw back at the two of them, but kindly of course.

"Why haven't you ever gone?" Peter asked. (Sirus was still aghast at her declaration of non-Hogsmeade-ness.)

"Well, I felt weird about it. After all, I'm only 13 now, and I didn't know if it was age or skill Professor Dumbledore based his requirement on."

"But didn't you get a permission slip?"

"Yeah, and I even got dear Mum to sign it. I just never went."

"Well, we'll show you a real good time," Sirus cut in, finally recovering. Peter nodded eagerly. "Me, Pete here, Remus, and James will take you on the best trip ever!"

_I'll need to ditch them for a bit_, Lily thought but didn't say anything more. Seeing as she wasn't going to talk anymore, Sirus decided to speak up once more, even if it was against his better judgment.

"Lils, you haven't seen James around, have you?" Sirus asked very hesitantly.

"No, not since class," she answered. If Lily had been watching Sirus, she would have seen him sigh out of relief. "Why?"

Sirus began babbling about Quidditch or maybe it was something more about the upcoming Hogsmeade trip. Either way, it didn't matter; Lily had ceased to pay attention. They say children can sense evasion quicker than adults, even if adults are more prone to saying something about it. Lily knew Sirus was evading her question as sure as she knew he was sitting next to her, but unfortunately she was still too much of a child to say anything else to him. Besides, it's not like Hogwarts could keep a secret forever.


	6. Broken Promises

**Overprotected**

Chapter 6: Broken Promises

The next day promised to be a bitter cold one. Even the dormitories themselves seemed frozen, making the students even more willing to stay in bed with the covers piled up to their chins.

That was the exact reason Lily Evans did not get up for breakfast on that Saturday. No amount of knocks or calls could make her open the door separating her room for the boys'. However, form the rumors that were spread in the Great Hall that morning, it was probably better that, for once in her life, she decided to be lazy.

Everyone was ready to leave for Hogsmeade by the time Lily met up with Sirus, Remus, and Peter. They were waiting with the rest of the student body, to be checked off a long list and allowed out of the castle. Finally, the four of them were allowed to depart, and they made their way through the frosty landscape to the nearby village.

The three boys took her to many of the places Sirus had promised they would, but none of their hearts seemed to be in it. Even when they went into Zonko's, the joke shop, to pick up a few odds and ends, something was definitely out of sorts.

"Where's James?" she asked suddenly. It wasn't that Lily had just noticed his absence, but she couldn't stand this anymore. She hadn't meant for it to come out, but as they led her to the Shrieking Shack, she couldn't hold it in any longer. All three, Remus, Sirus, and Peter, glanced at her to see if anything was revealed by her face. When they all looked away, Sirus answered.

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors of the Shrieking Shack," he said, evading her once more. "Well, it's not really ghosts. It's ole Moony here."

"Yeah, I heard you guys Thursday night," Lily said lamely. "For the first time, I stayed awake until the moon set."

"Look, Lily," Remus cut in. She knew he would say something she didn't particularly want to hear when he (or any of them for that matter) used her name instead of a nickname. "I'm really sorry about what happened in the Hospital Wing on Friday. I didn't mean to come across that way."

Lily knew exactly what he was referring to, but Sirus didn't. His eyebrows immediately went up, and he looked at her quizzically. She chose not to answer his non-verbal question, but instead turned her back to them and began to walk away. Now was as good a time as ever.

"Where are you going, Lily-Flower?"

"I have to do some shopping, Sirus."

"Okay. We'll come with you!"

"That would defeat the purpose. Look, I'll meet you all in the Three Broomsticks in an hour or two. Okay?

Sirus sighed. "Alright, Lils."

Then Lily walked away completely. She wanted to visit the little shop she had spotted on the way in to see what she could find. The only thins she needed were a few small objects that she could easily transform into a different shape. Upon entering, she saw exactly what she could use: a barrel containing small stones of varying colors was perched by the door. Lily picked out four red ones (the color of her hair), four black ones, four white ones, and eight grey ones. Then something else caught her eye; it would be perfect for Luke. Once these were rung up and paid for, Lily made her way out of the shop.

It had been a little over an hour since Lily had left Sirus, Remus, and Peter so she figured it was best if she headed to where she wanted to meet them. Ahead, she saw a mop of windswept hair (made even more so by the constant gusts). Drawing closer, she noticed that it was indeed James Potter, and then she saw why no one would tell her where he was. On his arm, James was sporting a pretty blond who was giggling at who knows what. As the pair turned to make their way out of the biting wind, James saw Lily, caught her eye, and waved. A look of horror spread across her face, and a feeling of betrayal sunk into her stomach. Turning, Lily ran all the way back to the castle, through the corridors, whizzing by empty classrooms. She practically shouted the password to the Fat Lady and tore up the stairs to her room, slamming the door, then locking it with every appropriate charm she knew. In that room, Lily threw herself onto that so rarely used bed and wept her heart out.

Hours later, the remaining students had made their way back to the castle, quite cold. James said good-bye to his date in the Entrance Hall then promptly met up with Sirus, Remus, and Peter. The first was in quite good spirits from the ways the day had worked out, but the remaining three were quite glum seeing as they lost Lily about halfway through the trip when she failed to show up at the Three Broomsticks.

"Are you guys okay?" James asked, noting their distress.

"You didn't see Lily today by any chance, did you?" Sirus asked, hoping and praying he hadn't.

"Yeah, I did actually. By that little shop when you first enter the village. I thought she had seen me, so I waved."

"Great," Sirus muttered under his breath, sarcasm oozing from the once syllable.

"Did you say something?"

"No."

"Oh, I almost forgot, I promised to walk my date back to her dorm."

The three others looked completely confused. Didn't he just leave her?

"I told her I just wanted to say 'hi' to you three," James explained. "I'll meet up with you later in the Common Room."

With that, he gave a wave, and the much loved James Potter departed. Sirus, Remus, and Peter looked at each other, questions written all over their stunned faces. Remus was the first to speak once they started walking toward the Tower.

"It's oddly convenient," he said, "that James finds a reason to leave us when that's just what we want."

"Coincidence," Peter stated firmly.

"It must be," Sirus added, "but it's so convenient. Lily obviously saw James and his date which is why she never showed up. And he has no clue it killed her."

"What I didn't get," Remus started, "is why she cares so much. I mean, she's mad at him for overprotecting her, but when he finds someone else…" Remus shrugged hopelessly.

There was a silence as the three boys kept walking toward the Tower. Then Sirus had to ask the question that had been bugging him all day.

"Remus, what is it that you apologized for earlier? To Lily. You didn't –"

Remus cut him off with a laugh, knowing what the other one was about to say. "No, I would never. We had just been talking. She said something about how you guys let me out for the moon. Didn't seem to like that too much."

"Think she's mad about being left out?" Peter asked.

"Of course she is," Sirus answered. "She's like that. If it weren't for James, she could have been out there with us, too."

"Sirus, you know you wouldn't have wanted her out there either."

Sirus was about to reply when a new voice cut him short.

"Password?" asked the portrait of the Fat Lady, dressed in all pink, who guarded the Gryffindor Tower. The boys hadn't exactly noticed where they were, but their feet auto-piloted them to their home then stopped. She looked at them expectantly. Peter was the first to give the word, and they stumbled into home as the picture swung open to reveal its secret.

"So who's going to get Lily?"

The question ended up being pointless since Remus was already headed toward the Boys' Dormitory. Up the stairs he went and noiselessly slipped into the room. He let his feet take him to the other end of the room where Lily's door was and knocked, softly at first then growing louder.

"Lily." No answer. "Lily." There was again not a sound from inside the room. Remus tried the handle but found it locked. As soon as he moved his hand away, puss was shot at him, burning every place that it touched. Conjuring ice to put on his arm, Remus tried again.

"Lily, I know you're in there."

Then there finally was a reply. "Go away," came the muffled command from the next room.

"Look, Lils, I just want to talk."

"Go away, Remus. Please," came the soft voice, and it sounded like its owner was trying very hard not to cry.

Remus turned in defeat. He couldn't possibly keep pestering her, not like that; even as a werewolf, he had his soft spots.

Sirus was the first one to spot him as he made his way back from the dormitory. Eagerly, Sirus watched until he had realized that Remus was slumped in defeat. The one who had just come, collapsed into one of the armchairs as if he had just run a marathon.

"You didn't talk to her, did you?" Sirus asked.

"Well, unless you count her telling me to go away as talking to her, then no, I didn't," Remus replied. "She sounded really upset, like she was crying or something."

"That's it! I'm going up there!"

Sirus got up and started toward the dormitory.

"How'd you get that nasty burn on your arm?" Peter asked Remus, seeing where the puss had hit him.

"Oh, that reminds me," Remus mussed to himself. "Sirus! She's charmed her door to squirt burning puss when anyone touches it!"

Sirus heard him and yelled back a thanks in response then continued up the stairs. Once at her door, he didn't knock (thanks to the warning) but instead, called out to Lily in a very worried tone.

"Hey, Lils. You want to talk, Flower?"

"No. Please…" she pleaded.

"Come on, Flower. Just a couple words. I don't usually ask for much."

"Sirus, I can't. Just leave…please."

He heard that her voice was breaking where she was trying to conceal sobs.

"No, Lily, I'm coming in there if I have to break down this door."

There was no answer. Sirus quickly put a shield charm up to protect himself then shot as many unlocking charms at the door as he could recall. (Knowing Lily, it wouldn't just be something simple.) As the first charm hit the door, the puss shot out, deflected by the shield, and burned holes in the beds. However, the spells must have done their job, for Lily's door swung open. Sirus cautiously stepped in, weary of any other wards that might have been put up; there weren't any.

Lily was curled up on her bed, hastily attempting to wipe away the tears that were still falling. Sirus saw right through that and sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her. At first, she tried to pull away but saw that it was useless and gave in.

"Why won't you talk to us, Lily-Flower?" Sirus questioned. "You're killing us like this."

Lily just ended up crying more and buried her head in Sirus' chest.

"What's wrong?"

Still, there was not answer. He wasn't really sure why he asked since he knew pretty much what was troubling her, but he had tried.

"It's James, isn't it?" No voice, but the sobs grew louder, and more effort had to be put forth to stifle them. "I don't know why you're letting it get to you. He's had plenty of dates before, and they've never bothered you before. You _did_ tell him to find someone else to protect."

"But this is different, Sirus!" the red-head exclaimed suddenly. The other boy just stared. "Why is this one different?"

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't even mention her. Every time James came up, you guys would all avoid the topic. I didn't even know where he was during Hogsmeade 'till the very end."

"So you saw him with her, then?"

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a bit. Lily had hoped that Sirus would answer her question while Sirus willed that Lily would forget. However, she didn't and asked again.

"So why _is_ this one different?"

"I don't really know. Maybe it's because you two are growing farther apart, and with the way things are now, we figured you'd freak. Maybe it's because he seems so serious."

"But he ruined your time: Marauder time."

"How do you figure?" Sirus tried to ask for cover, but Lily knew she had hit a sensitive area.

"You always tell me how great your trips are, what the four of you do, the supplies you get…I've heard the stories. Plus, you guys haven't had a meeting for weeks; there haven't been any pranks."

"Okay, so maybe he left us on our own for a bit –"

"He's a traitor."  
"Now you can't mean –"

"I do," Lily stated firmly, but tears welled up in her eyes once more, threatening to cascade down her cheeks. "Please, Sirus, I just want to be alone."

For once, the infamous Sirus Black, trouble maker extraordinaire, life time jokester, complied. He wouldn't be able to fix this one as easily as a prank gone wrong.


	7. Turn Around

**Overprotected**

Chapter 7: Turn Around

Perhaps all too soon, Lily Evans had her chance to tell James Potter exactly what she now thought of him. He was sitting in front of the fire in the Common Room with Sirus, Remus, and Peter. Anyone would say that he was minding his own business as Lily came through the Portrait Hole. She had been trying to avoid James for as long as possible, but this time, the situation was unavoidable. Trying her hardest, Lily walked nonchalantly past James. He saw her.

"Hey, Lils!" he called in greeting.

"Traitor," she hissed back.

James stood up and grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving. He met her stare for stare, glare for glare. Neither would back down.

"What are you talking about?" he challenged, his voice a low, dangerous hiss too.

Peter stood up; somehow, he knew they shouldn't be around for what happened next. The remaining Marauders shot worried glances at the pair before following Peter to their dorm.

"I meant exactly what I said, Potter." She tried to pull away, but James only tightened his grip.

"What have I done to deserve this new title?"

"You found _her_." Lily was talking about the girl she had seen James with that day in Hogsmeade.

"I just did what you told me. 'Go find someone else to protect.' Your words exactly." Both teens were letting their emotions take over.

"You didn't betray me, you betrayed your friends. You haven't had any meetings, you haven't played pranks, you didn't even meet them in Hogsmeade!"

"Why does it matter to you? It's not like it was some big secret."

"Oh, yeah? Then why didn't anyone bother to tell me? Why did we spend the whole day in Hogsmeade at the Shrieking Shack – the only place they were certain you wouldn't bring you date?"

"You were in Hogsmeade?"

"That's where I saw you two. Remember?"

"But you've never been before!"

"I know! And this was supposed to be great. Amazing! I've heard countless stories of your fantastic trips, and I couldn't even experience one. My first time, and I had to avoid everything that makes a good time. All because you're all _still_ protecting me!"

"Lily, I'm so sorry," he whispered, but it was too late. Just as he went to wipe her tears away, she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and fled out of the Common Room.

Slowly, one by one, the three Marauders crept back into the Common Room where James sat, slumped in one the scarlet arm chairs. Peter was the first, testing out the situation. When everything still seemed settled, Sirus went down, leaving only Remus in the dormitory.

The two boys gathered wordlessly around their fallen comrade, but the found they could do nothing to ease his pain.

"What have I done?" James was heard asking. "What have I done?"

In their room, Remus stayed for some reason that he didn't even fully comprehend. He just sat on his bead, listening, and that's when he thought he heard sobs. They seemed to be coming from Lily's room, but that had to be impossible; she hadn't come up. However, he went to investigate anyway. After knocking, he slid the door open and entered. The sight that greeted him would stay in his mind forever.

Lily was in there, her back facing him. She didn't seem to hear the footsteps as they moved closer for she just continued to stare out the window, her body shaking.

Quietly, Remus sat down on the bed, and Lily practically threw herself into his arms. Openly, then, she cried, soaking the front of his shirt. Remus rubbed her back and whispered soothing words of comfort.

"I can't believe I did that to him, Remus," she said quietly, her voice haggard from the stress.

Just as he was about to reply, a loud pop was heard from one corner. That one was followed by a few more successive sounds, each one growing louder than the last.

"Lily, what's that?" Remus asked, worry evident in his voice.

Lily looked up and brushed away her tears. "It's ready."

As if she had never been a wreck just a few seconds ago, Lily got to work. The potion was given one more quick stir (counter-clockwise, of course) then it was taken off the fire. Two large dollops were each ladled into the cups Lily had just transfigured for the purpose. Wordlessly, she handed one to Remus.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked peering at the murky liquid suspiciously. "It's not that important."

"If you're that worried, I'll go first."

In two gulps, Lily drained the liquid in front of her, and without hesitation, pointed her wand at herself and clearly uttered a very complex spell. Nothing seemed to happen at first as Remus watched on nervously. Then, in one sudden movement, she changed, and Remus breathed a sigh of mixed relief and awe.

"Lily, you're Prongsette; you're a deer!"

It was true. As Lily gazed into the mirror set up in her room, she saw that she was indeed a deer – a lovely auburn one, the exact same color as her hair. She had the large, characteristic eyes of a doe which were the exact same shad of green as her own, and she thought her animal form was quite pretty indeed.

"Can you turn back?" Remus asked, cutting off her thoughts.

Prongsette nodded and concentrated long and hard on her human form. As suddenly as she had turned into a doe, she was back as Lily and looking happier than ever.

"Okay, your turn," she said excitedly to Remus.

He drew in a long breath of air, took one last look into his cup, and drained the liquid, eyes tightly shut. Once he realized that everything seemed fine – he didn't feel like he was one fire – Remus opened his eye and let out the breath he had been holding.

"You have that spell around somewhere, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Lily answered and too a piece of parchment out of her robes. She handed it to Remus and said the incantation once last time. He then pointed his wand at himself and repeated what Lily had just said.

Remus' transformation took a little longer than Lily's, but just as he was about to give up, he felt himself change. Even before Lily had a chance to say anything, Remus saw that he had become a brown owl, speckled with grey. He spread out his wings and got himself air born after a few tries. Only when he was perched on her shoulder did Lily say something.

"I told you it would work."

The owl ruffled its feathers in a haughty manner and flew to the bed.

"Now to change yourself back," Lily told it, "you just have to concentrate on your human form."

The owl must have done so because in another minute, Remus was sitting on Lily's bed.

"Lils, you're amazing!" he breathed.

"So I've been told," she answered modestly, but she was blushing. "You want to try them out?"

"How?"

"Take a run around the forest, of course."

"Sneaking in there?"

"Oh, don't tell me you've never done it before. It'll be easy enough to get out of the Common Room, and you're allowed outdoors; it's not after hours or anything."

"And you? You'll never be able to get past James, Sirus, or Peter."

"Oh, I have other ways," she finished mysteriously.

Remus gave in. What harm could it do? It's not like they were running around with a werewolf. So he left her room to go down to the Common Room. Once there, he told the remaining Marauders he was gong to the library, walked carefully down the corridors, and slipped out of the castle. At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, he checked to make sure no one was around then transformed into the owl, who perched itself on a branch. A few minutes later, an auburn doe arrived.

Being out in the Forest was sensational; the owl and the doe moved without thinking. Even though only one had wings, they both felt like they were flying. However, soon the sun began to sink, and on cue, the animals became human again. Neither had to say anything as they made their journey back to the Entrance Hall, and neither did. Remus and Lily stopped at the doors of the Great Hall.

"You should go in and eat," she told him. "They'll miss you."

"What about you?" Remus asked back.

"I'll be down later," she replied. He didn't completely take her word for it, but he let her go anyway. With four overprotective brothers in the castle, she was not going to starve.


	8. Staying

**Overprotected**

Chapter 8: Staying

It was finally the day every student at Hogwarts had been waiting for: the day they started winter break. The four fifth year boys were running around packing last minute, as they always did; Lily wasn't up yet.

James knocked on her door for the fourth time that morning. "Come on, Lils. You'll miss the train." There was still no answer.

Things had smoothed out between Lily and James over the past month. They were once again talking to each other, and the traitor incident was never mention. However, it was not as perfect as they tried to make it seem, and tension was high.

Just as hew as about to go back to her door, Lily stepped through, still wearing her pajamas.

"What are you doing still dressed like that?" James asked, looking her up and down. "You'll miss the train if you don't hurry."

Lily just stood there, still unmoving.

"One would think you were planning on staying here for the holidays," Remus said slowly.

"It's nice to know that one of you catches on," she replied.

The four boys stopped everything and turned to face her with blank looks on their faces.

"You can't, Lily," Peter spoke up. "You always go home."

"Yeah," James added. "You can't stay here without us!"

"Luke's coming," she said simply.

"But don't you want to see the rest of your family?"

However, Lily was saved from having to answer that question by a knock on the door. A brown-haired girl stuck her head in cautiously; it was the Head Girl, Laura Brewer.

"Lily, Professor McGonagall says I'm to bring you to her office right away, though I suggest you get dressed first. She didn't say what it was about."

A puzzled look crossed over Lily's face, but she disappeared back into her room. Less than two minutes later, she came back out, hugged the four boys good-bye, and followed Laura out of the dormitory. The two of them didn't say a word as they walked down the corridors; Laura leading, Lily a step or two behind. When they arrived at the office, the Head Girl rapped lightly on the door before entering. Professor McGonagall was seated at her desk and turned as the pair came in.

"Here she is, Professor," Laura said.

"Thank you, Miss Brewer," Professor McGonagall replied, then seeing Laura turn to leave, added, "I have to ask you to stay here with Miss Evans."

Laura was obviously shocked and a bit outraged, thinking that her task was done. This was evident in the tone of here voice in her next statement.

"But, Professor, I told the Head Boy that I would meet up with him after I found Lily." I was a well-known fact that the two were dating.

"Miss Brewer, I have urgent matters that need to be discussed with the Headmaster." She gathered her papers together and headed for the door. "It will only be until the carriages are gone." With that, she left the room.

It was only then that Lily fully realized why she had been brought here, and she couldn't have been angrier. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"I don't know what you're sighing about," Laura said, quite fed up with the whole situation. "I'm the one who's stuck babysitting a first year!"

"Fifth year, thank you very much," Lily spat back sourly. Laura Brewer was a Gryffindor, but that made no difference. The older girl didn't have as much of Lily's respect as she would have liked. "It's not like I asked for this."

"And I did?" she was about to respond when seventh year Gryffindor Prefect, Molly Prewett stuck her head into the room. Both Lily and Laura cut their argument short and turned to the door.

"Laura, the Head Boy's looking for you," Molly said.

Laura stifled a frustrated yell. "I know he's looking for me!" she exclaimed. "He's been looking for me all day, but I'm stuck here babysitting!" She gestured angrily at the red-headed fifth year.

"Well, if you want, I'll stay here with Lily," Molly offered, and Lily crossed her fingers discreetly behind her back. There was no doubt that she respected Molly much more than Laura, and spending the morning with the Prefect would be much more enjoyable than waiting for the carriages to depart with the Head Girl.

Laura's demeanor changed immediately. "Oh, that'd be great, Molly." She was out the door without so much as a glance or a good-bye.

Molly came over and took a seat on the desk where Lily was sitting. "So why are you here, Lily?" she asked. "I hope you're not in trouble."

"No," Lily replied slowly, almost with regret. "No, not really. Luke just doesn't want me to go home, and he doesn't trust me not to, apparently. So I guess he wrote to McGonagall to make sure I didn't. I don't know why he bothered, I signed up to stay."

"Ah, well, you know how brothers are. I have two myself."

"I have five."

Molly looked shocked. "Surely they don't all go here. I've only ever heard of one other Evans."

"No, the other four go here too – James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter."

Molly laughed. "I see. They sure do care about you; there's no doubt that you're in good hands."

"Yeah," Lily breathed then turned to stare out the window. The two of them sat in silence for a while until Lily finally asked the question that had been on her mind: "Do you know when Luke's coming by any chance?"

"I think they said that he's supposed to be here by Christmas Eve, so you don't have that long to wait."

For the first time that day, Lily smiled. She had only three days to wait, at the most. "Thanks, Molly."

"Oh, don't thank me," the older girl laughed, "thank the professors who were talking about it in the corridors. It's amazing how much information you can pick up around here. If this gets out, your brother will have a few welcome parties waiting for him."

Both girls laughed, and that was when Professor McGonagall came back.

"Alright, Miss Evans, the carriages have left. You are free to go. Thank you Miss – " and that's when the professor looked up for the first time and realized that the Head Girl was no longer there. "Miss Prewett, where is Miss Brewer?"

"The Head Boy was looking for her so I told her that I'd stay with Lily," Molly replied.

Professor McGonagall sighed. "Well, thank you then, Miss Prewett. You may both go."

Molly and Lily both left the office after bidding the Professor a happy holidays and good-bye. They both walked silently down the corridors side-by-side and stopped simultaneously in front of the Great Hall.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you," Molly stated more than asked. She tried to steer Lily into the Great Hall. "Come on."

"No, you can go ahead," Lily replied politely. "I think I'm going to take a walk around the grounds."

"You'll freeze."

"Luke's coming."

"Or he might come tomorrow. Lily, don't be stupid. We're all excited that he's going to be here, but you don't have need to kill yourself. No doubt, he'll come and find you the first chance he gets."

"Molly, really, it's okay. I'll be fine," the younger girl said firmly. "It won't be the first time I've waited."

Again, Lily turned to walk out of the Entrance Hall, and Molly grabbed her arm once more.

"At least promise me you'll stay in sight."

Lily sighed. "Sure, Molly." Opening the doors, she let a chilling gust of wind into the castle, carrying snow and ice with it. It was out into this mess that the red-head slipped silently, and it seemed almost as if she had become a part of the surroundings. The wind whipped around her red tresses, and the ice blurred the vision of her green eyes, but still, she did not move.

Luke Evans did not show up at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that day, and an hour before curfew, Molly came out to find Lily in the exact position she had left her. She took the younger Prefect by the hand who allowed herself to be wordlessly led back to the Common Room. Once in the Gryffindor Tower, Lily collapsed onto one of the plush scarlet chairs she always shared with Sirus, Remus, James, or Peter and started into the embers of the dying fire. As far as Molly knew, Lily stayed that way until morning.


	9. Christmas Eve Raid

**Overprotected**

Chapter 9: Christmas Eve Raid

The next day was Christmas Eve, and Lily Evans was up as the sun was rising. She quickly made her way to her dormitory to change into a fresh set of robes. Before even the Head Master was up, Lily was once more outside of the protective wall so the castle. Sometime pulled her to the exact spot that she had been standing in the day before, and once more, Molly found her there.

Molly hadn't seen Lily on the couch when she had left her, she wasn't in her dormitory (as far as the seventh year Prefect could see – having knocked for five minutes), and she wouldn't be found in the Great Hall, so Molly turned to the only other place she'd be: outside. Sure enough, through the large windows in the Entrance Hall, Molly could see a bright spot of red against the blinding white snow. Deciding there was only one thing she could do, Molly opened the oak doors and also stepped out into the cold.

"Lily! Lily!" she called. "Lily, come inside."

"But Luke's not here yet." The younger girl didn't even flinch when she heard her name being called.

"He'll never find you out here, dear. You're better off in the Common Room. It's the first place he'll check."

"He'll go to Dumbledore's office first."

"Then why aren't you stalking there?" Molly had finally reached where Lily was standing and put her hand gently on the other girl's shoulder. Lily's cloak was soaked through, and it was beginning to become icy.

"He had to come past here."

"No, he doesn't. I'm sure there are plenty of other ways to get into the castle. If the Headmaster's expecting him, he won't just be walking hip-deep through the snow."

"Well, you'll tell him where I am then, won't you, Molly?"

"Sure, Lily. Here, as long as you take – and eat – this." Molly handed her a stack of warm toast wrapped in a napkin.

"If you say so." Lily knew she probably wasn't going to eat; she wanted to see her brother too much. Any of the boys would have known that, and in a way, Molly may have too. However, it cheered Lily slightly to know that the place still felt like home even if none of her boys were there.

Molly turned to leave. "I'll tell him where to find you. Don't kill yourself."

However, Lily didn't answer. She just kept staring off into the distance in the direction of Hogsmeade.

It was nearing late afternoon when Luke even did arrive at Hogwarts. Molly had been out to see Lily a few more times since breakfast to try to convince the younger girl to come inside. "Luke probably won't even come this way," she had said every time, and she was right. Luke got into the castle without anyone but Professor McGonagall seeing him. She just looked at him gravely and told him that the Headmaster was expecting him.

Even after being away for four years, Luke still remembered the way to the Head Master's office (actually, he was pretty sure he could still find any part of the castle). The stone gargoyle still looked exactly the same, and it swung open to the same password that Luke had used on his first visit. He walked down a flight of stairs and rapped lightly on the double doors that led into the inner office. "Come in" was the brief reply. Luke stepped inside to find the Head Master standing behind his desk.

"Hello, Luke," Albus Dumbledore greeted with less energy than usual.

"Hello, Professor."

"Now, none of that. You're not in school anymore, Luke. I'm not your teacher or your Headmaster. Please, won't you sit down?"

Luke came over to the desk and sat, as the older man. Most of the portraits that had been sleeping previously were woken up. They didn't mind though – because of the occasion – and moved in closer to hear.

"We can't express to you our sorrow, Luke, over what happened. The news just arrived, and it's been kept quiet here. Lily doesn't know yet, as you requested."

"Thank you." Luke looked worn out, and he sounded tired. "I just don't want her to hear it from an owl. Especially when there's no one here. I assume James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter went home for the holidays."

"Yes, I believe they did. How is she going to take the news?"

Luke sighted and ran his hand down his face. "I'm not sure. They didn't exactly have the best relationship." He handed the Headmaster the last letter Lily had written him. Albus read it quickly then handed it back. "You see? I'm not really sure what she'll do. That's one of the reasons I wanted to tell her; I want to be there when she hears."

"And how's Petunia?"

"She at our Aunt and Uncle's house right now. I have custody over her, but if she came to me, she'd be taken out of school and away from all her friends. I don't think she needs the change of environment right now. Besides, after what happened, and how it happened, I'm not her favorite person."

"Yes, I suppose one can only expect that."

"Cant I go find my sister, now?"

"Yes, of course, Luke. We'll all be here for anything."

"Thank you." Luke got up, and just as he was making his way to the door Albus called out once more.

"Don't do anything rash, Luke. Revenge seems like it will lessen the pain, but you still have a family to care for."

Still with his back turned, Luke nodded and then exited the office. His feet automatically took him to his old home in the Gryffindor Tower, and that's when he realized that he didn't know the password. In his grief and his haste to see Lily, he had forgotten to ask the Head Master. Luckily, he saw Arthur Weasley walking down the corridor at that very moment.

"Hey! Hey, Arthur!" Luke called.

Arthur stopped walking rubbed his eyes and then rushed over.

"Luke," he said with disbelief. "Luke, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see Lily. Dumbledore said I could drop by for a bit so I decided to. Only, I forgot to ask him for the password."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Arthur told the Fat Lady the password and they both climbed inside. Luke finally felt like he was home. "Molly's been waiting for you all day."

"Why?"

"I don't know. There she is, there. I'm sure she'll tell you herself when she notices us."

At that moment, upon hearing voices, Molly did look up. She got up and met the two boys (now pretty much men) half way across the room.

"Hello, Molly," Luke greeted as Arthur kissed her.

"Hey, Arthur, hello, Luke. You sister's been waiting for you for the last two days. She's right outside the Entrance Hall. You can see her hair clearly against the snow. I told her to wait in here, but she wouldn't listen."

Luke looked slightly alarmed. "Thanks, Molly," he called as he rushed out of the Common Room. He practically ran down to the Entrance Hall, thoughts running crazily through his head with him.

_Lily. Why, Lily? Why couldn't you have just waited inside, in front of the fire, with a good book like anyone else would have? If you get sick…I'm not spending the whole time I'm here in the Hospital Wing._

When he got to the Entrance Hall, he threw the doors wide open, and sure enough, he saw the red of Lily's hair visibly against the snow. He kept running toward her.

"Lily!" he called without breaking his stride. "Lily!"

She flinched but didn't turn, perhaps thinking it was a figment of her imagination. Luke just kept on running and shouting until he reached where she was standing.

"Lily," he tried once more. "Bean, come on."

"Luke!" she cried, suddenly turning and wrapping her arms around him. He held her tight. "Oh, Luke. I was so afraid that it wasn't you. I've been waiting for you for forever, and…and you weren't coming…"

"Shh, Lily. It's okay. I'm here now. Sweet Merlin, Bean, you're frozen! Let's go back to the castle."

Lily tried to take a step but nearly collapsed into Luke's arms. He gently scooped her up and carried her all the way to the castle and right into the Gryffindor Tower. Molly and Arthur were by this time gone, and the Common Room was empty. Luke set Lily down, and her feet automatically took her to the chairs she always sat in with James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter. She took a seat and looked at Luke expectantly. He followed her over but stayed standing.

"So how was the raid?" she asked, matter-of-fact-ly, like it was not big deal.

"You okay, Bean? Warmer now?" he asked, trying to delay his response.

However, Lily would not be sidetracked. "How was the raid?" she asked again.

Luke took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the words that had to come. "Lily. Lily, it's Mum and Dad… It was in our neighborhood. They…well, they didn't make it."

"But how was the raid? Did we loose anyone? Were any of the Death Eaters there?"

"Lily! Didn't you hear me? Mum and Dad are gone! They're _dead_, Lily!" He had said it for the first time, and the weight was too much. He slumped over into the chair right across from Lily. "Petunia's fine, though. I was able to convince her to stay away, but Mum and Dad, they just wouldn't leave. I told them to go away for Christmas, but they insisted on staying home. They wouldn't let me save them."

Lily watched her brother break down in front of her eyes, and she suddenly felt drained. The world had come crashing down upon her, and she couldn't take it alone. Silently, she crawled into the chair next to Luke and buried her face in his shoulder. He put his arms around her and pulled her close as if his brotherly love could protect her from the world.

"I'm sorry, Luke," she murmured softly, crying steadily while he tried to support her.

"No, no."

No one knows how long they stayed there. It's one of those moments where time has no measurable affect, and they took advantage, just a brother and a sister trying their best to help the other deal with the fact that they no longer had parents. Luke stared off into the fire while Lily just cried. However, soon enough, her sobs grew quieter and her breathing fell back to a regular rate. She was asleep, and Luke realized it too.

"Come on, Lily," he said while picking her up. "Time for bed. Where's your dorm?"

She pointed to the Boy's Dormitory, to the door that clearly read "Fifth Years." Luke lifted his eyebrows in question but didn't say anything. Instead he forced his feet to travel the familiar path, and he entered the room. Looking around, he saw all of the signs that four boys lived in the room and asked:

"This isn't your room, is it?"

She shook her head and pointed to the door that led to her own sleeping area.

"But you're not going to sleep in there tonight, are you?" He knew her too well.

She shook her head "no", and Luke put her into the bed she pointed to. Forgetting that she wasn't five anymore, he tucked her in and kissed her gently on the top of the head like each of their parents used to do. As for himself, Luke laid down in the bed right next to where Lily lay, figuring the owner wouldn't mind if it was just for a couple of nights. That bed was Sirus'.

As soon as Lily's head hit the pillow, she took and a deep breathe and let the familiar smell wash over her. The last of her tears dried, and she felt better than she had all day. The odor wrapped around her like comforting arms, and she was able to finally rest. She had chosen James' bed.


	10. Forest Explanations

**Overprotected**

Chapter 10: Forest Explanations

Lily slept until noon the next day, something which troubled Luke greatly. He knew his sister's precise habits well enough not to leave the room for more than a few minutes at a time.

Finally, she woke up, just after lunch, as Luke was seriously considering waking her himself. All she did was complain briefly of a headache, and then she left. Luke would have followed her had she not gone into her own room and shut the door firmly behind her. Luke knew this was her own way of saying she wanted some time so he left also, in search of food.

Once in her room, Lily looked around like a lost child. The events of the night came crushing down upon her, and she crumpled to the floor. No more tears came; as she was alone, she could not cry fro her brother, and as he was not there, she could not cry for herself.

Eventually, it was too much. The need inside of her to move, to run, was too great. She fled her room and tore out of the castle. The minute she reached the Forbidden Forest, she was Prongsette. The braches ripped at her face, roots gripped her legs, and thorns slashed her sides, but she kept running. She stumbled time after time but always came back up; anything to get away.

Breathing heavily, she burst through the barrier Luke had set up once he was strong enough to, and she was Lily once more. There was a simple swing hanging from one of the gnarled braches of the old oak tree. Lily only managed to grab the seat before she collapsed onto the ground trying desperately to hang on to her reality. All over her body, the Forest had torn into her skin, and blood was already trickling from the wounds. It was drying in the intricate patterns her faced formed, making the situation look worse than it already was.

It would be hours before anyone found her.

Once Luke left the Gryffindor Tower, he went down to the kitchens. The House-Elves there were very attentive and gave him more food than he could possibly be expected to eat, which caused him to linger longer than he expected to. Afterwards, he took a trip to the Library he hadn't seen for four years to find it just as he remembered. The books were still kept stacked in a very orderly fashion, and everything was polished to a bright shine. Like the Common Room, he felt the strong call of "home" here. Relishing the feeling, he sat down to read, and it was hours before he remembered anything else.

However, suddenly there came an acute warning sensation which made him stop in the middle of a sentence and pick his way back to the Tower. Once there, he made his way to Lily's room and knocked sharply on the door.

"Lily." His voice was full of concern. He had been away for hours, and there was no telling what she might have done in his absence. "Bean?"

When there was no reply, he cautiously pushed the door open and peered in. Luke was met with an empty room. Suddenly, the image of Lily standing outside in the freezing cold waiting for him touched his memory. He rushed out of the room and then feverishly made his way out of the castle.

Halfway across the courtyard, he came to a lone pair of footprints that he knew instantly were Lily's. He followed them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest where he noticed they changed mid-stride, but he kept on going. They were leading to is old haunt, the shield he had put up in fifth year which only allowed human to cross its boundary. He had made sure Lily knew exactly where it was when she entered Hogwarts.

It did not surprise him to find Lily in there, with her head laying on the swing; what did surprise him was her state. When he crossed the threshold, she merely lifted her head up and looked at him with the biggest, saddest, doe-eyes he had ever seen. He reached her before she could protest and scooped her up into his arms, holding her close.

"Lily, why?" he asked, settling himself against the oak, still holding his sister, trying to protect her from the world.

"I'm sorry," she replied as more of a plea than anything else. Suddenly, he felt her start to shake, from the cold or fear – or perhaps both.

"What did you do, Lily? I saw the tracks."

She tried to escape from his grasp, but he still held her tight.

"I have to show you," she told him quietly. "It's the only way."

Reluctantly, Luke loosened his grasp on Lily. She slid out of his arms and limped to the edge of the shield. Several times, she nearly fell, but Luke was always only a step behind to catch her. As soon as she was outside the barriers, she changed back into Prongsette. Luke watched on, eyes wide in disbelief. The feat was seldom taken on by fully trained wizards, and here five fifth years had accomplished it.

However, just as she began to stand, the doe stumbled. In her haste to escape, she has twisted something but had only realized it now. The complete pain was overwhelming, and she almost passed out. Once again, Luke was there, cradling the wounded doe in his arms.

"Lily, can you turn back?" His words were anxious as he watched the life in his hands. The doe merely looked up at him than closed her eyes. "Lily, come on. Bean, you have to."

Something did the trick, for by the next minute, Lily was once more in her brother's arms.

"Come on, Lily. We're going to get you up to the castle and get you some help."

"No, Luke, please." Her voice came out a hoarse whisper, and he looked startled. "It's illegal. You know. You can't take me, Luke. They can't find out.  
"Lily –"

"Please, Luke. Promise."

"Alright, Lily. I don't like it, but I promise not to take you to the Hospital Wing. But you have to do something for me. Tell me how it happened. Everything."

Lily looked up at him once more. It wasn't so much that he needed to know everything, he just wanted to keep her conscious long enough to get back to the castle. She was beginning to shake even more, and Luke knew that he had to keep her mind on something else.

Finally, Lily drew a breath and weakly started. "It was for Remus. He can't hurt animals, and we needed to be there for him. I found the recipe for the potion and the spell; I told them how to do it, but James still wouldn't let me help. Remus would get some of the potion for me. The never knew that he took it; they all trust him. But it had to be before the silver; Remus can't have silver. I came up with a substitute. Slughorn tested it; it works just the same, and it won't burn Remus. It worked." She had to pause often in the middle of her story. It was also so disjointed because her mind was wondering all over the place, but somehow, Luke managed to grasp the disconnected pieces. "They finished first –"

"Wait, Lily? The silver. Why not silver."

"Don't you know?"

"He's a –" She shuddered before he could finish and then kept quiet. Luke waited for her to continue. "What next, Bean?"

"They finished a week before me so they were in time for the moon; I missed it. That was November."

"So you would have gone out with a werewolf, had he been here? Running around the grounds?"

She looked up in silent conformation.

"Don't you want to know what we are?"

"I already know what you are."

"Remus is an owl, Peter's a rat, Sirus is a black dog, and James is a stag."

"A stag…" Luke breathed. Destiny.

Lily gave another shudder. "Luke," she whispered, "I'm cold."

"We're almost there." And they were. Just as Lily uttered her statement, they were outside the Portrait hole. As Luke answered, he was walking toward the dormitories. He felt her forehead, and she was burning up. If her fever didn't break soon, he would take her to the Hospital Wing, promise or not.

Luke put Lily into James' bed once more and piled the blankets around her. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, Lily fell into a fitful slumber, and even hours later, the fever showed no sign of breaking.


	11. Another Broken Promise

**Overprotected**

Chapter 11: Another Broken Promise

The sheets felt extremely cool on Lily's face when she woke up. Her body ached, but she didn't feel the stabbing pain she expected from the cuts she assumed covered her body. Slowly, she opened her eyes and let them adjust to the surroundings. The first thing she saw was white and knew immediately that something was wrong. Her eyes shot open, she started convulsing and withdrew. Luke came rushing out with Madam Pomfrey hot on his trail, and he ran to Lily's side to hold her fast.

"I'll get some Calming –" but Lily's shakes subsided. The matron turned to Lily. "That's some fright you gave us. Are you alright?"

Lily stared blankly into the air before her.

"Is there something wrong?"

Lily kept looking straight ahead, still in shock, her breath coming in short gasps.

"She'll be okay," Luke finally spoke up. "She just needs to get into a familiar environment."

"I really don't think that's a good idea."

Lily's eyes began to dart wildly around, and she was coming close to hyperventilating.

"Please, I really think it would be best."

"Alright, Luke, I'm leaving it to your discretion, but if anything happens, please bring her back."

Luke took Lily's hand and tried to lift her out of the bed. She got on her feet but nearly fell so Luke carried her through the castle to the Gryffindor Tower. Once in the Boys' Dormitory, there was a letter sitting on James' bed so Luke sat Lily down on Sirus'. She immediately curled up into a ball, but her breaking slowed.

"Lily-Bean, look here," Luke said, picking up the letter, "your friends wrote to you. They're worried. Why don't you read their letter?"

She made no move. Luke brought the letter over and placed it in her lap. The instant the letter dropped, a kind of peace swept over her, and she fell asleep.

_She needs those boys_, Luke thought. _She needs them more than any of them could ever know._

With that, he left the dormitory for the Head Master's office.

Two hours later, Luke Evans and Albus Dumbledore had apparited to the Potter Mansion. A black-haired woman opened the door when they rang the bell and ushered them in.

"Hello, Albus," she said as she offered them tea. "I hope this isn't about James. He hasn't even been in school for the past week. He didn't ask to come back, did he? He's been owling Lily constantly and threatened to ask your permission to come back if she didn't answer."

"No, June," Albus replied. "James hasn't done anything. However, Miss Evans and her brother lost their parents to a Death Eater raid early Christmas Eve."

June Potter looked – truly looked – at Luke for the first time. Her eyes were large and tired, full of sorrow.

"I'm so sorry. We read about that raid, of course, but we had not clue… It's gotten so bad lately. The attacks are coming so frequently, the Ministry can hardly keep up."

"Thank you." Luke bowed his head.

"Miss Evans has taken it harder than most, it would seem," the Head Master continued. "She has apparently gone into shock, without any sign of recovery."

"Albus, I'm an Auror. I only know basic healing. What do you expect me to do?"

"Please, Mrs. Potter," Luke spoke up fervently. "James can help her. She always seems so much better when she's around something of his. James and Sirus…they could help her, if you let them come back to Hogwarts."

"I'm sorry to disturb your holidays, June, but if I thought there was another way…"

"No, it's quite alright, Albus. I'll call James and Sirus."

The two boys came running in minutes later.

"Yes, Mum?"

"Pack your bags; you're going back to Hogwarts."

"Did we do something, Mum P?" James and Sirus were looking around at the grave faces that surrounded them.

"It's for Lily. Your father will understand."

No other words of explanation were needed. When "Lily" came out of June Potter's mouth, James and Sirus shot upstairs and were back down with their trunks in under ten minutes. June kissed the two boys as they hugged her, and in another five minutes, she was alone in her house once more, waiting for her husband to come home from work.

Harold Potter walked through the door around five o'clock. He found his wife sitting at their kitchen table, looking around the room in a lost manner. Sitting down, he kissed her in welcome.

"You haven't been sitting her all day like this, have you?" he asked. Even after all the years they had been married, they were still madly in love with each other. "I hate to see you like this."

"I know," she answered tenderly. "It hasn't been long."  
"It seems awfully quiet. Where are James and Sirus?"

"Back at Hogwarts by now, I suppose."

"Hogwarts?!" It was a mixture of surprise and question. "He didn't ask Albus to come back, did he? He said he would if Lily didn't write him soon."

"No. Albus came earlier this afternoon with Luke Evans. Apparently their parents were killed in the Christmas Eve raid, and Lily isn't taking it well. Her brother seems to think that James and Sirus could help her get over the shock."

"They really love her."

"That, they do."

Albus, Luke, James, and Sirus arrived back at Hogwarts in Minerva McGonagall's office by way of Floo powder. It wasn't any of their favorite ways to travel, but it was by far faster than taking any other form of transportation. James and Sirus wanted to rush to Lily right upon their arrival, but Professor Dumbledore made them stay and give the Head of the Gryffindor House sufficient time to fill out necessary paperwork for their arrival. When that was finished, the two students were released and sent on to the Gryffindor Tower. Luke turned to follow, but he was pulled into conversation by the Headmaster. Somehow, Albus Dumbledore knew that this was a time the boys would want with Lily alone.

Sirus and James nearly ran down the corridors to the Tower, taking every secret passage that would shorten their journey. Portraits they passed attempted to draw them into conversation, but every attempt was futile; the boys would not be stopped.

They threw the password at the Fat Lady upon their arrival and then leaped into the Common Room. Not noticing anything else, they sprang up the dormitory stairs and into their room.

Lily was still sitting on Sirus' bed with that same lost look on her face. Every once in a while, her eyes would dart back and forth around the room, but she wasn't seeing anything. It was too much for James, and he fell back hopelessly onto his own bed. Sirus, however, went over to Lily and put his arms around her. He stood there just rocking her.

"Come on, Lily-Flower," he said and one point. She gave a little quiver, and Sirus continued. Eventually, her breathing became uneven, and she began to cry.

"James," Sirus pleaded wearily. That brought James out of his revere, and he jumped up to take Lily from Sirus. The shock had been broken. When James replaced Sirus in front of Lily, she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, soaking his shirt with tears. This nearly knocked James over so he sat down on Sirus' bed, gently pulling Lily with him. She followed without loosening her grip on James, but her tears subsided somewhat. Sirus knew that she would be alright now, but James still had that fierce, protective look on his face. He'd die for her.

"What happened, Lily-Flower?" Sirus asked.

Lily looked up and brushed the wetness off of her face. She settled back against James, who wouldn't let go of her, and took a deep breath.

"I couldn't take it anymore so I just ran…ran into the Forest. Luke found me; I must have been pretty beat up, but I mead his promise he wouldn't take me to the Hospital Wing – she finds everything out. I went to sleep here, but I woke up there." She looked like a deer caught in headlights, as lost rabbit. "He promised…"

"He loves you, Lily-Flower. He came to get us." James squeezed Lily tighter, and Sirus went to lie down on his own bed, behind where Lily and James were seated.

"We're sorry about it all, Lils."

"Don't be."

"They were your parents! It was Christmas Eve!"

Don't be."

Sirus were about to add something more when Luke walked through the door. Seeing his sister out of her shock, he grabbed Lily from James and engulfed her in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Luke," she said, then added, "Luke, I need to breath."

He immediately released her. "You have no clue how worried I was about you, Bean."

"I'm sorry."

"I even had to get these two to help me out. I've never been more scared, Lily." He embraced her again.

"Luke, I'm sorry, I really am."

Sirus and James were feeling more and more uncomfortable with every passing moment, like they were invading some family process. However, in the nest instant, Luke turned to the two.

"Hello, Sirus. Hello, James," he said to the two, finally greeting them. "We never really did say anything, did we?"

"Hey, Luke, they replied. "If only it could have been under more favorable conditions," Sirus added. Luke merely nodded. Suddenly, a stomach growled in protest.

"How about we get something to eat," Luke suggested. "I think it's been a while for all of us."

James and Sirus readily agreed and soon the hungry males were journeying to the Great Hall, towing Lily in their wake.


	12. Changed

**Overprotected**

Chapter 12: Changed

All too soon break was over, and the castle once more resumed its regular activities. Lily had bid Luke a tearful good-bye, sensing that something would be different soon. Remus came back looking tired but no worse than usual and a little happier even. Last, Peter stumbled back, bringing interesting stories of his family that kept the group entertained for hours. Lily stayed silent on the subject of her parents' deaths, and no one brought up the topic. Not for the last time, she was sorely glad that they seemed to have a sixth sense about them.

The five were sitting around the fire in the Common Room after the welcome back feats, relishing each other's presence.

"The gift you sent was truly amazing, Lils," Remus commented. "I can't believe you got that to work for you. Most of those spells are sixth or seventh year."

Lily blushed modestly and thought back to what he was talking about. She had transformed the stones from Hogsmeade into each of their animals (except for hers, she was a lily until they found out about Prongsette, in which case the lily would become an auburn doe). Everyone got one of everyone else, and they were communication devices. Say the person's name once, and you could hear him or her; say the name twice and you could see the person and surroundings. A note had been added on the bottom of James': "Now you can keep track of me with my permission." It was rather clever, if she did say so herself, and she had had a feeling the four boys would love them. (She had a set herself only hers couldn't be used to find the boys, only to let them find her.)

"I hoped you'd like them," she said.

"Are you crazy?" Sirus exclaimed. "These are bloody brilliant! We'll be able to pull off so much with them."

"I was afraid he'd say that," Remus groaned but smiled at the same time. Contrary to popular belief, Remus loved a good prank as much as the next Marauder.

"So when do we get started?" Peter asked eagerly.

"Tonight?" suggested Sirus with that familiar gleam in his eyes. Anyone who knew anything about Sirus Black knew that that look meant trouble.

"No," James said sternly and stood up. "I'm going to bed." He looked at each of the Marauders and kissed Lily good-night then walked off in the direction of his dormitory. Sirus, Remus, and Peter made a half-hearted effort to keep Lily amused in his absence, but soon they too bid her sweet dreams and went off to bed. However, Lily wasn't stupid. None of them were tired; they were going off to plan something for the next day. James didn't want Lily involved in any of it, so she kept herself in front of the fire, and she was positive that just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heart invisible footsteps heading out of the Tower.

Sure enough, the castle was in chaos the next morning. It had been snowing lightly since midnight, and by the end of breakfast, all classes had been canceled. It wasn't the problem of ridding the castle of snow. No, that the Professors could do easily enough. It was just that every time they made the snow disappear, it would fall even heavier than before and would pile up even higher. The spell was a simple one to undo, but the location had to be found where the charm had been cast in order to reverse it. Even with the whole staff searching, it would take all day.

The Marauders hadn't exactly hid the spot, it just wasn't immediately obvious, and they were taking great pleasure observing their handy work. Using the Map, they would seek out students who were trapped in the blizzard and help them find their way to safety. Except for Severus Snape. He had been foolish enough to attempt to brave the weather and was caught in a rather large drift on the way to the library. James, passing him with the rest of the group, muttered a simple spell, and Severus was enclosed in a block of ice, only his head sticking out. Severus called out insults as the gang walked by, catching the attention of the librarian who came out to find the Marauders gone and Snape too cold to tell what happened. However, as always, rumor leaked out, and no one had a hard time guessing what had happened.

Lily was sitting in front of the fire just as she had been all day, feet under her with a blanket that James had draped across her shoulders. He and Sirus had been checking on her every half and hour or so (using their gifts) making sure she was still put where they had left her. Now, it was lunch time, and all four boys had just happily trotted back into the Common Room where the House Elves were going to bring the midday meal. Grinning, the surrounding Lily, but the look on her face settled them all. She still looked as lost as the day before, and her eyes no longer contained the brightness they used to. The four boys looked worried: Remus and Peter not knowing what had happened and James and Sirus knowing how the events had touched her life. Sirus pulled her onto his lap and put his arms around her in a comforting, brotherly manner.

"What's wrong, Flower?"

Lily just kept staring straight ahead with a blank expression on her face. It took a minute for her to answer, and when she did, she still didn't turn toward any of them. "I heard you didn't help Snape." Her voice was emotionless, flat. "You hexed him to make it worse."

"Since when have we done any different?"

"And you just walked away. They'll never find out. He'll never turn you in. But they would believe him."

Remus knew what was going to come next. _You are a Prefect, Remus,_ she would say. _You have an obligation to help people. It's a responsibility and not one to be taken lightly. Dumbledore gave you the position for a reason… _but it never came. She still sat there stiffly, looking at nothing. James and Peter came back laden with the food that had just appeared, and she still didn't turn when the platters clacked noisily on the table.

"What happened to you, Lils?" Remus asked, an almost pained expression settling on his face. "This isn't like you at all."

She finally turned to face him with that same stony look. "My parents died, Remus." Her voice was soft and nearly pleading. "It changes people." With that, she wriggled her way out of Sirus' grip and left for her room.

"You're just going to let her go!"

"We knew, Remus. She's over the worst of it." With that, James and Sirus proceeded to tell their two friends of the events of Christmas break Remus and Peter listened wordlessly, their faces falling with every statement uttered.

"I read about that raid," Peter said eventually once the whole story had been told. "They said a few Muggles had been killed but nothing else, not even the location. Mum was furious when she saw I got a hold of the Profit. No one wants to admit that this war is real."

"It's real alright, Pete," Sirus said solemnly, "and we've just gotten touched for the first time."


	13. The First Encounter

**Overprotected**

Chapter 13: The First Encounter

The next weeks weren't perfect, but it definitely got better. Lily lost some of the haunted look in her eyes, and she came back to the world a little bit. She still wasn't eating much at all (not that the four boys could tell), but that wasn't much different than usual. They had dragged her down to lunch one day where Sirus was coaxing her to east something. It wasn't working very well, and James had finally had enough.

"Eat something, Lily!" he exclaimed. "Or I'll write to Luke."

"No, James, please." She looked frightened for the first time since the incident. "He doesn't need that, not now."

"Then eat."

Lily meekly picked up her fork and began putting small quantities of mashed potatoes in her mouth mechanically. However, five minutes was all she could stand of that and put her fork down. The four boys looked at each other and sighed, but it was instances like this that kept them going and kept her functioning.

School was no different than usual. Lily worked just was hard at her studies (perhaps even more diligently than ever) and kept at the head of class. She was found doing homework and studying everywhere went and at all times, staying up through the wee hours of the night doing assignments she didn't need to complete and reading books she was never asked to read. This again was nothing new to her friends, and they were almost glad that this at least had remained constant.

The Professors, however, were constantly casting worried glances at their brightest pupil. They all knew what had happened, and they were watching for any sign of a break down. Lily did look thinner and more sleep-deprived, they noted, but she still wasn't giving them any reason to protest.

The point finally came when the full moon was mere days away, and the whole group was tense. Remus knew that Lily wanted to come out with them this month, without first telling the other Marauders, and he had been trying since they had come back from break to convince her to remain in the castle. One day, after class, Remus pulled Lily aside.

"You can't do this, Lily!" He was gripping her shoulders and nearly shaking her. "You could get hurt. Don't be stupid!"

However, the rest of the Marauders appeared just in time to hear the last line and to see Lily slip away.

"What's she doing that's stupid?" James demanded.

"What is she doing that's not stupid?" Remus sighed and threw his hands up in defeat, quickly covering for the conversation he had just been having with the younger girl. "She doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, over-works herself, stays up till Merlin knows when doing Merlin knows what! She finds places to run away to and won't come back. It's all stupid!"

"She's always been doing that," Peter replied.

"But we're noticing it more now because we're all waiting for her to collapse," Remus said even more frustrated. "The teachers even see it, and they've never noticed anything besides her grades!"

"Remus, calm down," James broke in. "Your furry little problem is getting the best of you. Full moon's in a couple of nights; we have to make plans."

The full moon had been in a couple of nights, but now the night was upon the castle. Earlier that day, Remus had gone down to the hospital wing complaining of itchy rashes. His friends knew that it was so that the other students would understand if he missed a day or two or was all scratched up, but they also knew that these itches persisted strongest just before a transformation.

James, Sirus, and Peter had "gone off to bed" early, but really they were pacing back and forth waiting for the rest of the Gryffindors to depart from the Common Room. Lily could hear them from where she had locked herself in her room. Truthfully, she was very tempted to leave and go to the tower where she always watched the moon from, but her activity was sure to make the boys suspicious so she stayed put. A couple of times, she almost left, but any noise would fall upon very acute ears, and she couldn't risk them finding her gone.

Eventually, they must have deemed the time right because Lily heard three sets of feet disappear. She waited until she was pretty sure that they would have been out of the castle before she left also, her own way. Just as she was making her own exit, the Willow froze.

There were other ways of being invisible than using an invisibility cloak, and Lily used one of those other methods to sneak across the grounds, covering up her tracks as she did so. James, Sirus, and Peter would be suspicious enough that there was a new doe in the forest, and seeing a new set of foot prints might be pushing it too far. (It would also remind them of the time Severus Snape almost found Remus while he was transformed. Sirus thought it was a clever joke; James didn't and against his wishes, saved the unfortunate Snape who was then sworn to secrecy.)

Once in the Forest, she undid the charm and transformed. The doe wandered for a bit. She knew where the others would be (having overheard their plans) and had decided early on that she would just show up instead of trying to follow them. A couple of times, she almost crossed their path, but Prongsette decided it would be better if they stumbled upon her.

The moon had nearly sunk below the horizon when the encounter took place. Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail were just herding Moony back to the Whomping Willow when a new smell caught their senses. All four looked up to see a doe at the base of an old oak tree, watching them. She seemed to have no problems with them and even inclined her head in acknowledgement. Suddenly, the werewolf started nodding furiously as if to show some sort of greeting. The doe inclined its head again. Prongs, however, was having none of this indifference. He saw this other deer as a threat to himself and his position in the Forest (meager as it was). Royally, he marched over to the doe, making his regal presence known and stomped a couple of times then snorted.

_Get out of here._

_I have as much right to be here as you do – maybe more._

_By whose authority?_

_My own._

Furiously, Prongs rammed his shoulder into the doe, causing her body to knock roughly into the oak and tearing a gash above her eye – from the broken limb of a tree branch. He seemed satisfied and gestured to his comrades. The dog rounded up the werewolf as the rat hopped back onto the stag's antlers, and the four continued back to the Willow. Only the great black dog looked back; the eyes were familiar, those green, green eyes.

Prongsette leaned against the tree for a moment before putting all of her weight on her feet. The scrape on her forehead was bleeding, and blood was starting to seep into her fur. However, she brushed it from her mind. It would be there tomorrow, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that she pulled it off: Moony realized she was there supporting him, and Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail didn't have a clue. Quickly, she made her way back to the castle. She had to be back in her room before any of the boys were, or she would have quite a bit of explaining to do. Luckily, fate was on her side, and she even got in two hours of sleep before classes had to begin.


	14. Ball Facts

**Overprotected**

Chapter 14: Ball Facts

"Miss. Evans, please see me after class," Minerva McGonagall called to her fifth year Prefect as the rest of the students were filing out of the door. Lily looked up suddenly from where she was putting her books away. Slowly, she put her bag on her shoulder and made her way over the Transfiguration Professor. Every movement took effort, her body still aching from the night before, and Minerva regarded this with worry.

"You really should get more sleep, Lily," the professor said, as she looked Lily up and down, her eyes straying to the scrape on her forehead. Lily hadn't had time to clean it up completely, and there was a lovely bruise forming around it.

"I'm alright, Professor," Lily tried to assure her. "I just had a difficult time falling asleep last night."

Minerva didn't look completely convinced, but she continued on anyway. "Alright. Well, if you and Mr. Lupin – either of you – are up to it, we will be have a meeting tonight in my office. Eight o'clock sharp. I understand if neither of you show up. It seems like it's been a long day."

"I'll be there," Lily vowed as she began to turn away. "Good day, Professor."

"Good day, Miss Evans."

After leaving the classroom, Lily walked down the corridors to the Hospital Wing. They all had a free period, and she knew that this was where she'd find James, Sirus, and Peter. She heard their voices as she got closer, Remus definitely the most chipper but the other three doing their best not to let the toll show.

"There was a deer in the Forest last night," Sirus was saying.

"A doe," James cut in.

"A doe, a deer, what does it matter – hey," Sirus cut himself off, "how do you know it was a doe?"

"I'm a stag; I have antlers. She didn't. Therefore, she is a doe. Besides, she was a lot smaller."

"Ah, what does it matter, there was another one there."

"We've never seen her before," Peter added suddenly.

"No, we –"

Lily made her entrance, and Sirus stopped talking. He hastily tried to start a conversation about Quidditch as Lily walked over, but it never got off the ground.

"You don't have to stop on account of me," Lily said as she collapsed into a char in between Sirus and Peter. "I do know what you're up to."

None of the boys answered, and Sirus just pulled her towards him. She winced as her forehead hit his shoulder.

"You okay, Lily-Flower?" he asked, pulling her head up and fingering the cut.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she tried to snap.

"What happened to you head?" James asked, eyeing her wearily.

"I – I hit it on my nightstand this morning getting up."

None of the boys said anything; Sirus just pulled her closer. She tried to suppress a wince as he tightened his grip on the bruise that appeared on her ribs that morning. When he was trying to rid the Forest of her, Prongs had slammed her against the oak which had come in painful contact with her ribs. However, if any of the boys noticed anything, they stayed silent on the matter.

"So yeah, there was a doe in the Forest," Sirus took up again after a few moments of silence, "one we've never seen before. You remember her, Remus?"

Lily was still leaning on Sirus, casually looking at Remus the whole time. He refused to meet her eye or even glance in her direction which told her that he knew exactly what had happened the night before.

"I remember a new smell," Remus said carefully, practically evading the question entirely.

"It was probably her. We didn't take you anywhere new."

Madam Pomfrey took that moment to make her entrance. On cue, Sirus stopped talking, and everyone turned to look at her.

"Alright," she said, "visiting time is over. Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew, Miss Evans, if you'd like your friend to get out today, he'll need his rest."

The four tried to protest but stood up all the same. They had Charms next period anyway, and with that being Lily's favorite (and best class), they wouldn't miss a minute of it.

"There's a meeting tonight, Remus," Lily called as they were turning to leave. He met her eyes for the first time that day. "Professor McGonagall said to come if you feel up to it; she'll understand if you're not there."

"I'll be there."

Remus was at the Prefects' Meeting, and he was even the first one there. He had been dismissed from the Hospital Wing half an hour before the meeting and didn't have time enough to do anything else before the start.

"Good evening, Mr. Lupin," Minerva McGonagall said to him as he entered her office. "I trust you are feeling better."

"Much, Professor, thank you."

After that, the other students began to drift in. Remus didn't see Lily enter, but one minute the chair next to him was empty, the next, it was occupied.

"I think we will begin now," Professor McGonagall announced once everything had settled down to a low murmur. "As you know, the Headmaster has, for some time, been planning to have a ball. Your Heads have met with him, and they have picked a date. So I believe I will let them tell you the details."

The Head Boy and Girl got up in front of the Prefects and began to talk. The ball was scheduled for the last Saturday in February. There was a Valentine's weekend Hogsmeade trip so that would allow everyone to buy dress robes. With the help of Professor McGonagall, they had assigned committees to everyone, taking care of food, music, decorating, and the like. Lily was put on the decorating committee; Remus on the food.

Lily knew exactly the reason for this. The day before the ball was a full moon. The Head of the Gryffindor House had purposely put Remus on a committee where everything would have to be finalized at least a week before the actual dance. He would be able to take his time without anyone becoming suspicious. As for herself, there was no way that she would be able to make the moon in February. Decorating would take place all night and maybe even into the morning. She had the feeling that Remus was secretly glad of this, even though he'd never admit it. He may pretend to let Lily in on more than James or Sirus, but really, he was just as overprotective as either of them.

"The ball will be announced tomorrow at breakfast. You should all have your first committee meeting by early next week. If there are no questions, you're dismissed."

There were none, and Remus and Lily quickly left their seats to begin their journey back to the Tower.

James, Sirus, and Peter were waiting for them when they returned, sitting in the chairs nearest the fire while playing Exploding Snap. All three looked up when the Portrait swung open, causing Peter to burn the tips of his fingers.

"So?" Sirus asked eagerly as Lily plopped into the chair next to him, and Remus collapsed into the seat across from James.

"It'll be announced tomorrow at breakfast," Remus replied wearily, running his hands over his face. It had been a long two days, and he just wanted to sleep. However, there would have to be lengthy conversations on the matter, he knew, before anyone would be allowed to depart.

"Who will you go with, Lils?" James asked cautiously.

"Don't you dare," she spat back. "You're already committed so don't even think about it."

"I wasn't. I know…"

"Good." There was a slight pause as if she was readying herself for what was going to happen next. "I was thinking of going solo. I'll end up dancing with all of you anyway, and that way you won't be tied up with me all night. The moon's the night before; I don't want you to _have_ to say on my account."

"We've pulled multiple all-nighters before," Peter stated matter-of-factly.

"I know, Peter, but I just feel like going alone. It really won't make any difference except that none of you will walk in with me on your arm. We all go together anyway."

They let the matter drop and moved on to other aspects of the ball. The four Marauders got mischievous glints in their eyes when they found out that Remus was on the food committee, and everyone knew what that would mean, just not in front of Lily. However, she was asleep by the time conversation got around to this, and James gently took her off to bed. When he returned, they began their plans, and it was hours before Remus too could enjoy the luxury of sleep.

The next morning found the four boys up long before Lily. At the moment, James was at the door attempting to get her up – with little success.

"Flower, it's time to go down," he called through her door.

"No," she grumbled back.

"Lily, you have to come eat _something_!"

"No, Potter." The grumble was louder and more defined this time.

"Here let me try," Remus muttered and walked over to where James was standing. "Lily, it is your duty as a Prefect to come down to breakfast because the ball is being announced, and people may have questions which it is your duty to answer."

There was no answer for a few seconds, but then the bed squeaked.

"How did you do that?" James asked with wonder. "She's stubborn as anything."

"Mention duty and Prefect in the same sentence," Remus replied offhand.

"That's low," Peter breathed, but all four boys burst out laughing. Fifteen minutes later, Lily was out of her room, and the five of them headed down to breakfast.

The Great Hall was filled with excited chatter when they entered, and it seemed as if the word had already gotten out. Just as the five Gryffindors sat down, Professor Dumbledore stood up. The Hall fell silent at once.

"From the sound of your voices," the Headmaster began, "it seems as if you have already heard the news. However, if you will give the old man the privilege of announcing it anyway…" He paused for a moment, and Sirus filled the gap with a "go for it Professor." The Headmaster smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Black. It has been decided that there will be a ball the last Saturday of February. It is for Fourth Years and up; any younger student may attend with an older one." The chatter began again softly. "Check your Common Rooms for the Hogsmeade dates. Any questions, please see your House Prefects or the Head Girl or Head Boy. Thank you." He sat down once more, and the noise overwhelmed the Hall.

"So, Flower," Sirus started, "you still going to deny one of us the honor?"

"Black," she replied, "you are quite aware of my stand; it's still the same as last night."

However, a new presence at the table drew everyone's attention and kept both Sirus and Lily from saying anything more. They all immediately recognized the tall blond girl who stood behind James. He moved over, and she sat down on his left.

"Guys," he said, "this is Cassandra Rosaland. She's in Ravenclaw."

"Cassie," she said with an almost apologetic smile, "please, call me Cassie; everyone else does. My grandmother is Cassandra."

The whole table exchanged greetings, even if some were a bit strained (to say the least).

"Cas, this is –"

She cut him off gently. "I know who your friends are, James. Who doesn't?" She pointed to each of the other four in turn. "Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, the one and only Sirus Black, and of course, Lily Evans. My whole house talks about you. No one's done what you have in a least a century, entered early _and_ skipped a year. You've got brains. Why weren't you in Ravenclaw?"

Lily smiled weakly and let out a strained laugh. It wasn't that this girl was mean or overbearing or the jealous type; no, she was probably one of the nicest people in the castle (and a Prefect, Lily suddenly remembered). However, her just being there – being with James – was throwing Lily off. There were knots in her stomach every time she thought of it.

"James," Cassie spoke once more, "you are going to take me to the ball, won't you?"

"Of course," he replied without a second glance at the rest of them. "I was just about to ask."

"Great. I'm really excited."

Lily was dimly aware that Sirus and Remus were trying to engage her in conversation, but she paid them no attention.

"I have to get ready for class," she said as if in a trance while standing up. The others all bid her farewell, Cassie definitely the most energetic, but Lily still didn't notice anything and just kept walking away. She actually didn't have anywhere to go besides a class that didn't start for forty minutes, but she had felt the overwhelming need to escape. So, with nothing better to do, she headed for History of Magic, which, she realized bitterly, they had with the Ravenclaws.


	15. Missed Interactions

**Overprotected**

Chapter 15: Missed Interactions

Time was passing very quickly. Already, Lily's decorating committee had held three meetings during which they made plans that would have the Great Hall looking even more spectacular than usual. Valentine's Day had just passed, filling the castle with its usual grandeur and rumors of love potions. That, of course, meant that there was a trip to Hogsmeade this weekend, and Lily was trying desperately to avoid it.

Early Saturday morning, she slipped out of her room into the passage which led out of her room and nearly everywhere in the castle. However, she just sat in that empty passage and let the darkness engulf her. There wasn't really a downside to staying in the castle. It would be very quiet, and she'd be able to work in the Common Room for once. Sirus, Remus, and Peter wouldn't have to try to keep her entertained. Most importantly, there would be no chance of her running into James or Cassandra. Plus, she still had her dress robes from last year, and they would still look quite charming this time around.

Back in the fifth year Boys' Dormitory, however, things weren't as calm. James had left already to meet his girlfriend, leaving Sirus, Remus, and Peter to round up Lily. They were having minimal success (seeing as she was already gone), and they had even tried talking to her through the animals. All that was doing was burning a hole in Lily's pocket though, and even trying to see her only gave them a picture of darkness. Eventually, they gave up and left, arriving at the Entrance Hall with only seconds to spare.

It was 3:00 before Lily finally left her dark hiding place. She had stayed there as long as she could without the darkness crushing her. Her initial instinct was to go to the library, but she brushed that off and instead, decided to stretch her legs with a walk around the castle. That however was the wrong thing to do because the first people she ran into were James and Cassie.

"Hello, Lily!" Cassie exclaimed while James looked like he'd rather be anywhere but there. "James, where are your manners? Aren't you going to say 'hello' to your friend."

"Hey, Flower," he managed weakly.

"Hi, Cassie. Hi, James."

"Flower, that's cute," Cassie mumbled to herself then turned back to Lily. "So why aren't you in Hogsmeade today? We saw Sirus, Remus, and Peter, but they said they hadn't been able to find you anywhere. Hiding from something?  
_You have no idea_, Lily replied ironically to herself but just gave a little laugh out loud. "I just didn't feel like going today."

"You could have at least told them that, Lils," James said earnestly, finding his voice for the first time.

"It wouldn't have made a difference."

"Yes, it would. They'd understand."

"You know your friends better than that; in this respect, they're the same as you. Don't try to kid yourself."

Cassie just looked back and forth from James to Lily, not sure what to make of the situation. Lily could sense this and began to slowly back down the hall.

"I was on my way to the library. I've got to go," she called as a half-hearted excuse then practically broke into a run.

Cassie attempted to say good-bye, but James just stood there, watching her retreating back. When Lily was completely out of sight, Cassie turned to James in a slightly accusing manner.

"What's gotten in to you, James?" she asked. "Lily's one of your best friends. You act like she means nothing, then you get super obsessive about her not being in Hogsmeade, and then you let her just run away!" She threw her hands up. "What's wrong?"

James sighed then took a deep breath. "Things aren't great between Lily and me right now. She tells me to find someone else to protect and then calls me a traitor because I was in Hogsmeade with you. She won't eat or sleep, and she works herself to death. Cas, you know I care about her; I just don't want anything to happen to her. Her parents have died because of who she is; I won't loose her."

"They died?" Cassie looked horrified. "When?"

Just this past Christmas Eve, in a Death Eater raid. The big one that was all over the Profit."

"Oh, no, James. That's terrible."

"Luke, her brother, came to the castle, and apparently, she took the news so badly. He came to my house to get me and Sirus. It took us nearly an hour to get her back." James looked frantic. "I can't loose her, Cas."

"James," she took his hands, "maybe she _is_ scared; maybe she _is_ in desperate need of protection. Somehow, I know that you'll always be there for her. I know that you lover her, James, more than your friends want you to, more than even she wants you to right now. I've really had a great time with you the past few months, but I always knew that it would never last forever. Don't worry, there are no hard feelings on my part, and I'd really like it if we could still go to the ball together. But just as friends. You're a real swell guy, James Potter."

He just stared at her in amazement for a few minutes, letting the words sink in. "You're amazing, Cassie," he breathed back.

"So long, James." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away. He just stood there in utter shock.

It was the night before the ball, and Lily was still stuck decorating the Great Hall. It was nearing 11:30, and Professor McGonagall was having the committee rearrange the tables for the fourth time. She was sore and aching because the eight of them were moving the furniture manually. Why they couldn't use magic, Lily still didn't understand, but when questioned, the deputy headmistress had spewed out some long speech about how Hogwarts has traditions and this is part of that. So Lily was still carrying chairs, looking up at the enchanted ceiling wishfully. Every so often, she thought she heard a bark or wolf cry, but no one else seemed to notice anything. She jumped every time and got back to decorating.

Eventually, Professor McGonagall was satisfied, and she finally dismissed then at 1:45. "Now, don't forget, everyone will be taking meals in their Common Rooms tomorrow. There should be signs posted, but please, just check before you go to sleep for the night. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."

Despite everything, Lily was one of the last to leave. She hung around, straightening tablecloths that weren't crooked, picking lint off chairs that weren't dusty, and just generally fussing with everything. Once nearly all the other Prefects had left, she made her exit.

The full moon was shining through the windows in the main corridor right by the entrance. Lily drifted over and pressed her face to the glass where she stood for several minutes.

"Shouldn't you be going to bed, too?" Professor McGonagall had come up behind Lily unobserved. The Professor was casting a worried glance between Lily and the moon itself.

"But the moon, Professor," Lily replied dimly.

"It's late, Miss Evans. Go to bed. There's nothing you can do."

_Yes, there is_, Lily thought, but with the Head of her house watching, she had no choice but to turn away in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower. She had plans to bypass it and just keep on walking, but her feet were on autopilot, taking her there even without her mind's consent. She would have gone back out if the chairs in front of the fire had not called to her, and as soon as she sat down, she was out. Nothing would have woken her up.

And nothing did. James, Sirus, and Peter dragged themselves in around four in the morning. They saw the sleeping figure of Lily on their way to their dormitory and immediately went over to her. She didn't stir as they made themselves comfortable around her, and all of them slept until nearly noon.


	16. Of The Dance

**Overprotected**

Chapter 16: Of the Dance

The Common Room was busy before the four awoke. Breakfast had passed and a wave of people with it. Lunch was due to arrive soon, and students were beginning to mill around the Common Room. Lily was the first to open up her eyes and glance sleepily about her. The first thing she saw was Molly sitting by her with a bemused smile on her face. James had his arms around Lily, and he tightened his grip when she tried to move. She elbowed him roughly in the stomach. However, that only caused him to grunt and tighten his grip even more.

"Get off, Potter," Lily growled still waking up. Molly just sat there even more amused. However, Lily's statement automatically caused Sirus to wake up, and his movement roused Peter.

"You have a girlfriend, James!" Sirus exclaimed, thinking that his friend was making another move on Lily.

"Actually, mate," he replied with confidence, "that's where you're wrong. She broke up with me."

"Over what?"

"She said it wasn't working out."

"There's always more than that, James," Molly put in with all of her wisdom. Although she didn't know the whole story, she knew that that wasn't the whole story, and James was deliberately leaving some out. That was when Arthur Weasley made his way over.

"Morning – afternoon, boys," he said cheerfully. "Get your beauty sleep?" None of the three looked amused, and Sirus was openly glaring. "And how about you, Lily? Sleep well?"

"For a while anyway, until these three lugged themselves at me," Lily answered, suddenly in a much brighter mood.

"Well, I'll see you at the ball later. I heard it's supposed to be spectacular." He walked away arm-in-arm with Molly who waved good-bye.

"Can't you please get off me now, James?" Lily asked once more, although in a more pleasant tone this time. He quickly untangled his arms from around her waist but made no more to get away from her.

"So what's this about you and Cassie? Don't you know you're supposed to break up with her after the ball? Now your dateless!"

"No, Sirus, that's where you're wrong again."

"James, you can't have found a new girl that quickly unless Lily agreed to go with you, but of course, seeing the state of things, I don't suppose that's happened."

Lily glared at Sirus.

"I'm still going to the ball with Cassie."

"James, when you break up with a girl, you're supposed to cut it cleanly; don't leave her hanging on."

"How would you know, Sirus?" Lily questioned. "The last time you had a 'girlfriend' was in second year."

James looked back haughtily. "We're still friends, there were no hard feelings, she just didn't think that it would work out. It's not _that_ complicated."

Lily met his eyes for a split second, but that one look conveyed so much thought.

_It's never __that__ simple, is it, James?_ her eyes questioned, almost mockingly. He had a feeling she could see the rest of the story. _There's always more to tell. You know they'll find out sooner or later. It's not like they don't know._

"Don't you need to get ready for the ball?" he asked her suddenly to draw the conversation away from the contact.

"I'll probably be ready before you guys will," Lily replied. "You know me. I'm not that type."

"Well, let's get lunch then. We missed breakfast."

Lily would have preferred to stay on the couch, but the boys pulled her up. There would be nothing to do until the ball anyway. Maybe they could visit Remus later.

True to her word, Lily was ready before the boys. She hadn't gone to get ready any earlier than they had, it was just that Remus had shown up halfway through the dressing process, and well, the boys got distracted very easily.

After finishing her hair (she was just leaving it down after all, and that didn't really take much), Lily went down to the Great Hall to make sure that everything was still in place. Halfway down, she met Cassie whose destination was the same.

Oh, Lily," Cassie breathed, "you look simply lovely!"

Lily looked down modestly. "You're going to outshine James tonight if you're not careful, and you know how he hates that."

"I think James will just have to deal with that tonight. He'll be surrounded by two very pretty ladies the whole time. I'll make sure he saves you many dances – so don't promise them all to Sirus."

"Don't do that, you're his date, you're with him, you two should dance all night. People will talk."

"Didn't he tell you, Lily?" Lily feigned a semi-confused look. "We broke up the other day. I would have thought it would be all over your group already at least."

"What was wrong?"

"Oh, nothing big. He's a fine person, you know. I just don't think it would have worked out in the long run. He's meant for someone else."

There was nothing Lily could say, and she just let out a quiet "oh". It seemed as thought Cassie was trying to point arrows towards Lily, and she was _not_ ready for anything there.

"Well, let's go, shall we?" Cassie asked. "I assume we're both going to the same place for the same reason."

That's right! Lily had forgotten that Cassie was on the food committee and had probably been on her way to the Great Hall to make sure that everything was still in order.

"Yes, let's."

They made their way to the Great Hall where the other Prefects and the two student Heads were milling around, picking at imaginary lint and straightening table clothes that didn't have a single wrinkle in them (much as Lily had done the night before). Shortly after, the band started up, and the doors were thrown open, admitting the rest of the students. James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter were some of the first ones in, and they found their girls right away.

"Miss Rosaland," James said, after all four boys had commented on how beautifully Lily and Cassie looked, "would you do me the honor of having this dance."

"Unless Lily wants it," Cassie answered back, directing her gaze to the girl in question.

"No, I'll take Peter. Want to dance, Pete?" He nodded eagerly.

"Hey, Lily-Flower, what about me?" Sirus butt in suddenly, in mock-hurt.

"Sirus, I danced the first dance with you last time, and Remus the time before that," she added as Remus was also going to protest. "Come on, Pete."

They left, and James and Cassie soon followed. However, it wasn't long before Sirus and Remus made their way out to the dance floor to remove Peter from his spot of honor. The boys always had a contest to who could dance with Lily the longest, and it had become somewhat of a tradition. She liked to watch their antics in amusement, especially when Sirus began to dance with Peter by accident.

True to her word, Cassie pushed Lily and James out to the dance floor many time together. Not sure how she would react, James held Lily at arm length at first, causing a rather awkward situation. After about the fourth or fifth song, Lily had had enough.

"We're dancing, James," she sighed in frustration. "Hold me like you want to."

He immediately pulled her closer, wrapping his arms even more securely around her; she leaned her head on his chest, which was at the absolutely perfect level. They began to say on the spot and both got lost in the other.

Cassie, Sirus, Remus, and Peter were watching the pair from the side of the dance floor.

"They fit well together, like that," Remus said as James pulled Lily closer.

"A little too well for comfort," Sirus replied darkly.

"You know as well as anyone else that they were made for each other."

"Well, I don't have to watch it. Do you want to dance, Cassie?"

"Are you planning on getting in the middle of that?" Cassie asked, pointed to the already dancing pair.

"No, I just don't have to watch it."

"Alright, Sirus Black, I'll help you ease your pain." Cassie took his hand. "He'll still be your best friend when this is through, you know."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

It was nearly midnight, and the last song has just begun. Cassie was once more in James' arms; she had tried to get Lily out there for the last dance, but already leaning heavily on Sirus, she had been able to convince Cassie that she would have fallen over on the spot. As it was, James was even slowing down as the toll of the night before finally sunk in. They walked off the dance floor back to the others when the tune was finally over.

"Excuse me if I don't walk you back to your dorm," James said stifling a yawn. "I think I'll fall over somewhere and just end up sleeping in one of the corridors."

"Don't worry about it," Cassie replied cheerfully. "The Prefects have to stay and help clean up anyway."

Lily let out an exasperated groan when she heard that and nearly caused Sirus to topple over. Even Remus let out a quiet sigh and leaned heavily against the wall.

"At least we can use magic," he said, his voice heavy with fatigue.

"Miss Rosaland," a new voice cut in, "could you help the Head Girl with the tables over there?"

"Of course, Professor."

Professor McGonagall had come over to them in time to hear Remus' last statement, and she turned to see the tired youths before her.

"Mr. Lupin, are you feeling quite alright? You still look rather pale."

"I'm fine, Professor," he replied, suppressing a yawn. "Last night was just a long night."

"I understand. You may e excused from cleaning up; they're using magic anyway." She turned to Lily. "Did you go right to bed like I told you to last night, Miss Evans?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Well, then, all of you straight off to bed. They're nearly finished anyway. And I don't want to hear of any side trips or it'll be a weeks worth of detention for all five of you."

So the five headed out of the Great Hall. Lily made a move to stay, but Remus picked her up and carried her out, knowing she would collapse if she tried to do anything that involved the least bit of energy – namely magic.

They almost didn't make it back into the dormitory, but Peter kept them going by setting an example. In her room, Lily almost didn't change out of her dress robes, but she knew there was a good chance of her wearing them next year so she carefully tucked them away. She nearly fell asleep right there on the floor but decided against it and climbed into bed.

The night wasn't _that_ bad, she concluded before she fell asleep. _I just wish James and I didn't have to dance so close._

Cassie and Lily actually became good friends after the dance. They could be found quite often in the library together doing homework or studying, and Cassie frequently walked from class to class with Lily and the boys. As she had said when they broke up, there were no hard feelings between Cassie and James, and he found that he rather like the extra spark she brought to the group. Of course, she wasn't quite a Marauder so she didn't know about Remus or any of the others; they didn't show her James' invisibility cloak or the Marauders' Map (from which Lily was still missing), but they showed her some of the more commonly known secret passages and shared with her Lily's brilliance – the animals.

Cassie was delighted by everything and made numerous suggestions, many of which the others used. She wasn't smarter than Lily, but being a Ravenclaw, she did think a little differently and brought fresh ideas into the group. Together, they created a communication system for her. Two pieces of parchment were charmed so that whatever was written on one appeared on the other. Cassie kept one on her at all time and the other one was hung up in the boys' room where everyone could get to it easily. Over the next two years, it was put to much good use, too and never went to waste.


	17. Taking a Break

**Overprotected**

Chapter 17: Taking a Break

Lily was working when James found her, as usual. Her auburn hair was tied back quickly, although wisps were falling in her face. James reached out to brush them away, and his hand caused a shadow to fall over the large book which Lily was leaning over. Her quill twitched, which to anyone else, it would seem like nothing, but James knew it meant that she realized she was going to be interrupted.

"What are you doing, Flower?" he asked.

"History of Magic," she replied as he took a seat, moving a rather large pile of books and parchment.

"But we have History tomorrow!" he exclaimed, becoming worried. Anyone who knew Lily knew that she always did her homework weeks in advance and was usually working way ahead of the class. Something must be wrong if she was working the day before.

"I know," she said simply.

James was worried, speechless, and began to gesture wildly. "But we have History tomorrow," he repeated frantically.

"This isn't for tomorrow. I'm just reviewing."

"Reviewing. Reviewing for what? Binns won't give us another exam for at least two weeks."

"Exams at the end of the year."

"It's only the beginning of March!"

"OWLs are this year, James." She was trying to have patience, but all of the strain she put on herself was already taking a toll on her nerves. It was becoming more and more difficult not to snap.

"You're going to kill yourself, Flower."

"I've been doing that for years," she replied wearily as he hugged her then went back into his dormitory.

Once in there, James wrote to Cassie.

_Cas, love, you there? It's James._

In the Ravenclaw Common Room, Cassie felt her pocket heat up. She excused herself from her study group and went into her dormitory.

_Hey, James. I would have guessed it was Sirus._

_Look, can you do me a __huge__ favor?_

_What is it?_

_Lily's going to kill herself the way she's studying. Can you talk to her?_

_I won't be able to make her change; you know that, right?_

_Yeah, nothing can change her. I just want her to get out of here for a bit._

_Alright. Tell her to meet me in the Entrance Hall._

_You're a life saver, Cas._

_Anything for a friend, James._

James literally jumped off of his bed and ran down the stairs back into the Common Room.

"Cassie wants to talk to you, Lils," he called as soon as he got to the bottom of the stairs. Lily turned her head, and James kept walking toward her.

"About what?" she asked.

"She didn't say. She just wants you to meet her in the Entrance Hall."

"James, what are you up to?"

"Go meet her; you don't want to keep Cassie waiting."

"What are you up to, Potter?"

"Why must I always be up to something, Evans? Just go."

Lily looked into James' eyes as if trying to find the answer, then turned on her heal and marched out the portrait hole.

Cassie hugged Lily when the two girls saw each other. The younger girl really did seem void of energy and strength, and even Cassie, at that moment, felt exactly what the boys did.

"I hear you're killing yourself, Lily," Cassie joked, but there was an undertone of seriousness.

"He _was_ up to something," Lily muttered to herself.

"James? When is he not? What's troubling you, dear?"

"OWLs are this year."  
Cassie suddenly took on a very serious tone, "I know. Sweet Merlin, I know. All of the Ravenclaw fifth years have broken out their books from first year, and we've all been studying as hard as humanly possible. The sixth and seventh years have been giving us great tips."

"Why aren't the Ravenclaws the ones with the best marks in this school?"

"I don't know. They nearly never are. We always say that you Gryffindors must be dumb to be that courageous, but you're not stupid."

"I'm keeping you from studying, aren't I," Lily suddenly put in. She did feel bad for taking Cassie away, but she just really wanted to go back too. "I can go back to the Tower. I'll just tell James that you had other stuff to do."

"Yes – no – … How about we both go to the library? That way James will think you're out having a grand time, and we can both do reviewing that we don't need."  
"Alright," Lily replied, content with the situation, and the two headed off for the library.

Two hours later, Lily was on her way back to the Gryffindor Tower. The time in the library was the most intense studying that she had ever done. Cassie had quizzed her on everything from first year through fifth, focusing mainly on the third year that she knew Lily had skipped. Even though this had calmed her fears somewhat, Lily knew that she would still study just as hard.

Walking down the corridors, Lily thought back to her parting conversation with Cassie.

"Please just take fifteen minutes to show James that you're okay," Cassie implored. "Just show him you're not dying.  
"Cas – Cassie, I just spent the past two hours 'not dying'," Lily replied. "Something will be wrong if I don't get back to work."

"Please, I'm begging you. Lily, you know he cares about you; you'd have to be blind, deaf, dumb, and dead not to notice it."

Lily reached the portrait hole and shook the thoughts from her mind. That was one path she could not let her mind wander down. Sighing, she gave the Fat Lady the password and decided to take Cassie's advice.

The first person she saw in the Common Room was Remus. He was sitting in front of the fire reading what Lily assumed was a novel.

"Remus, do you know where James is?" Lily asked.

Remus looked up and regarded the petit red-head warily. "When was the last time you wanted to know where James was?"

"Do you know where he is?"

"I saw him go into our dorm about an hour ago. Unless I haven't been paying close enough attention, he hasn't left yet."

"Thanks, Rem." She hugged him and planted a kiss on the top of his head before heading off in the direction he had pointed.

"Don't kill him, Lily."

"Is there a reason I should?"

"No, I just don't want you to find one."

Lily took herself up the stairs and walked right into the Boys' Dormitory. Upon entering, she found James on his bed with a rather large potions book and plenty of parchment surrounding him. She moved some away and laid down next to him. He immediately looked up at the shift in pressure.

"Hey, Flower. Doing anything?"

"Well, I was going to see if you wanted to go to the kitchens with me, but seeing as you're doing work…" She trailed off and made a motion to leave. James grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him.

"No, I'm not doing anything. Enjoy your talk with Cassie?"

"Immensely." It was the truth.

"What did you two talk about?"

"Oh, everything. I won't bore you with the details."

"Oh, please do."

"I thought you wanted to go to the kitchens." Lily was trying desperately to get James off the subject of her time out. She couldn't tell him that they had studied for two hours – the very thing he had sent her away from – nor could she explain why she was suddenly taking care to spend time with him.

"I'd rather just stay here with you," James replied, closing his eyes.

Lily was tempted to do the same, but she knew it would never lead to any good if Sirus found them both in here. "Come on, James; Sirus will kill you." She tried to pull him up, but he only pulled her back onto the bed next to him.

"Lily," he whined.

"Come on." She pulled herself up, and he reluctantly followed. They made their way out of the dormitory down to the Common Room where Remus was still reading. As they passed, he looked up, and the two stopped.

"You look happy, Lils," he said with a smile. "Where are you going?"

"To the kitchens," James replied.

"The kitchens?"

"I do eat sometimes, Remus," she chided lightly. "I'm not dead, yet."

"Pretty near to it," James mumbled under his breath, but the other two chose to ignore the comment.

"Do you want to come?"  
"Sure, Lils." Lily hadn't been this carefree in months, and to Remus, it was a welcomed change. He definitely wanted to spend time with her before she buried herself back into her books.

So the three of them went off to the kitchens where they really did have a great time. James and Remus began to forget that they were worried about Lily, and Lily began to forget that she was still in school. However, there were times when a look, a gesture, or a phrase pulled them all back into reality. Eventually, it became useless to sit in the kitchens any longer, and it was actually James who suggested that they go back.

Lily tried to remain carefree, but Remus seconded James' idea, knowing the time was over. The three walked back the way they came, and even though Lily was still badly attempting to lighten the mood, the overtones were somber.

Back in the Tower, James excused himself, heading off to his dormitory, and Remus began to read, leaving Lily to resume her studies. She didn't right away, however but just sat there doodling absent-mindedly on her notes. _Wouldn't it be lovely_, she thought with a sigh, _if life could be like that all the time? _


	18. The Second Encounter

**Overprotected**

Chapter 18: The Second Encounter

Remus met up with Lily once more in the empty corridors about a week before the full moon. He was already becoming pale, and his nerves were completely shot from the stress this week always caused him. That was why he was literally shaking Lily while he was talking to her.

"Lily, why are you set on being such a fool?" He still had his hands on her shoulders even though she was still once more. "Prongs thinks you're a threat to him. He thinks he owns the Forest by being a stag, and a doe sends him out of whack. He didn't talk about it to you, but all we heard for a month after you 'showed up' in the Forest was about this doe who 'acted like she has more right to be there' than he does."  
"Well, I do," Lily replied simply. "If it wasn't for me, there wouldn't be a stag in that Forest."

"I know, Sweet Merlin, _I_ know. But James doesn't realize it's you."

"Remus, we did this to help you, to take away some of your pain. I'm not going to walk away from you, as you know they won't. He'll find out soon enough."

With that, she walked away, without a single look back.

The full moon came soon enough, and even though Remus had tried multiple more times to talk Lily out of coming, she was in her room waiting for the tell-tale signs of the three boys' leaving.

This month she did watch for the footprints in the snow, and she made her own exit when the first sight was spotted. In the forest, Prongsette appeared and placed herself exactly where she knew the others would stumble upon her (after all, Lily had overheard their plans).

She didn't have to wait long either because within the hour, four figures strayed upon her path.

_Oh, you again_, the stag sneered.

The werewolf tried to edge away, but the giant dog kept him around. The rat jumped onto the shoulders of the werewolf and chattered soothingly in its ear.

_Yes, me._ The doe stood firm. _I'm here; there's nothing you can do about it._

_You think so. Watch me. _

With that, Prongs charged at Prongsette, knocking her roughly into another tree. She fought back, mainly just to keep him at bay, but she was beginning to loose energy. Suddenly, his whole weight came crashing down upon her body, and at least one crack was heard. She tried to shift her position, but he had her body caught against a tree and her neck in between his antlers.

_I warned you._ His eyes said it all. There was nearly a bloodlust in those eyes.

_You'll regret it_, hers replied as she began to fall to the ground. There were cuts all over her sides and face, and it hurt badly to breath.

Prongs finally let her go, and he turned to the other two. They had to leave soon, they just had to because she knew she would be unconscious in a few moments, and that was better done in the castle.

The stag finally gave a nod to his companions, and they followed him away from the sight. However, the werewolf began whining which sounded like mourning, and the dog – Padfoot – looked back into those fading green eyes.

Somehow, Prongsette managed to get to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and Lily managed to make her way back into the castle and to the safety of her room. It was a trial though. Every step drained her energy, and every breath made her nearly drop from the pain. Yet, she still made it back, and she collapsed as soon as she knew she was in her own world. Whether it was from pain, exhaustion, or both, Lily blacked out as soon as she hit the bed.


	19. Collapse

**Overprotected**

Chapter 19: Collapse

Lily didn't realize she was in pain the next morning until she tried to get out of bed, and then the sensation overwhelmed her. She nearly crumpled to the floor but clenched her teeth and tenderly got ready to face the day. The time was drawing closer and closer to when she should have been in a classroom, but still, she only stayed in her room. It wasn't that she was planning on skipping class that day (even though that would have been a good idea), she was just bracing herself for the questions that would be asked and the answers she would give.

In fact, she was so deep in thought, that she didn't hear Sirus knock on the door, and Sirus, hearing no reply, pushed open the door to make sure she was alright.

"Sweet Merlin, Lily, what happened?" he exclaimed. Lily had been examining the bruises that had formed around her ribs overnight and quickly pulled her shirt down upon hearing his voice. She tried to act normal.

"N-nothing," she attempted to say strongly, but it came out weakly and in pieces.

He looked into her eyes as if to try to convince her to tell him, and it all suddenly clicked. Her eyes were the same eyes that had been haunting him since their first encounter.

"You're the doe," he breathed in amazement, "from the Forest…and James… Prongs…" He couldn't finish. The auburn lily in his pocked grew warm and changed into an auburn doe. "You've got to go to the Hospital Wing. Come on."

He tried to grab her arm, but she winced, causing him to drop it.

"I have to go to class," she managed to get out. "They'll get suspicious. Come on; it's getting late."

Reluctantly, Sirus followed Lily out of her room and out of the Tower. They didn't see James or Peter anywhere, and they just continued slowly on to class.

The two of them weren't late to Transfiguration, but Lily slid into her seat just as Professor McGonigal entered the room, leaving no chance for either James or Peter to ask any questions.

"Today's lesson should prove to be more of a challenge than anything we've done so far this year," Professor McGonagall said as she made her way to the front of the room. "It is, physically and emotionally, very draining which is why we will be working on it all week. I do not want any incidents, so if any one feels that they are not up to top performing shape, please, tell me, and I will find you something else to do."

Sirus shot a worried glance at Lily, who seemed completely unfazed. He suspected that she wouldn't heed the warning.

Professor McGonagall went over the assignment in great detail then began to wander around the students as they started their work. Although she wobbled, Lily completed the warm-up spells without much incident, but the goal of the lesson was much different. As soon as she uttered the words, she blacked out and fell to the floor. The professor came rushing over, as did James, Sirus, and Peter.

"Alright, someone take her to the Hospital Wing. She should be around in no time at all. She just needs a little rest."

James hastened to scoop Lily up, but Sirus quickly stopped him.

"No, don't touch her." He lifted up her shirt to where the bruises began.

"Heavens above! Someone get Poppy." Peter immediately began running at this shocked statement from Professor McGonagall. James just stared, unable to move. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know," Sirus replied. "She wouldn't say."

"It'll have to be taken up with the Head Master. One of the students, in this condition, under the roofs of Hogwarts… I can't believe it!"

A few moments later, the Madam Pomfrey came bustling into the room with Peter fast on her trail. She rushed over to Lily and knelt down beside the unconscious girl.

"What happened here, Minerva?"

"The lesson was too much for her." Professor McGonagall gestured to the board where the notes for the day's class were still lingering. "She should have been able to supply the energy, but…" She gestured now to the bruises on the small girl.

"I think something might be broken," Sirus put in cautiously.

"And why didn't you bring her to me?" Madam Pomfrey turned on the fifth year.

"She wouldn't come. I tried, but she wouldn't come."

Madam Pomfrey sighed and shook her head then levitated Lily out of the room. The class was still silently watching her retreating back, and Professor McGonagall turned on her students.

"Let that be a lesson to the rest of you that this is not to be taken lightly. If there is any reason at all for you to sit out, I do not want you trying this."

The rest of the class went back to work, but James, Sirus, and Peter just sat there throwing worried glances at the floor but not speaking to each other. Professor McGonagall saw this and stopped by them as she made her rounds.

"I should have known that I would never get the three of you to work after Miss Evans was taken out in that state," she said kindly. "You may go visit her; tell Poppy I said you could."

"Thank you, Professor," Peter spoke up, the only one to find his voice.

The three boys quickly gathered up their things and exited the room. They traveled silently down the corridors into the Hospital Wing where they were greeted by Madam Pomfrey as soon as she heard them.

"Follow me," she said simply. "She broke four ribs and has numerous cuts on her chest, face, legs, and arms, which it looks like she tried to conceal. It won't be too hard to heal, but it may take a while for her to fully recuperate." They came upon Lily in one of the Hospital beds. "She's asleep."

All three boys let out a collective sigh of relief; they had all been afraid she was still unconscious.

"There's not going to be much you can do for her now, but if you come back tomorrow, she should be awake."

"Can we see Remus, then?" Sirus asked.

"Alright, but he needs rest, too."

The boys went over to the solitary bed where they knew their resting friend would be. He looked up expectantly as they gathered around, in chairs or on the bed itself.

"Did I hear Lily was brought in?"

"Four broken ribs. _Four_ broken ribs!" James had finally found his tongue. "How did that happen? I don't understand! What could she have possibly been doing?" The other three were oddly silent, something that James caught onto quickly. "If you guys aren't going to be any help, I'm just going to go do some snooping of my own."

James left, and the others just watched him walk away.

"He's not going to like what he finds," Peter put in quietly, and Sirus turned to the youngest of the four boys.

"What exactly do you know about this situation?"

In a burst of inspiration, Peter pulled out the communicators. His hands held a black dog, a gray wolf, a white stag, and an auburn doe.

"How long have you known?"

"Since a week or two after the moon in January. Everything about that doe seemed familiar so I did some guess work. Remus confirmed it. I figured that you and James knew already if I had gotten it. So that's why I didn't say anything."

"You – wait. You knew about this?" Sirus turned on Remus accusingly.

"You don't think she brewed a whole batch just for herself do you?" Remus laughed. "No, she's more clever than that. I helped her out; yes, I went behind you and James to let her transform, too, but so can I. Remind me, I'll show you sometime."

"But it uses silver!"

"Lily's brilliant, isn't she? Found…more made an extract for silver – same properties, not a drop in it though."

"James is going to kill you when he finds out."

"I highly doubt he's going to get past the fact that she's animagus to try to find out where she got it from. Not to mention he'll be beating himself up because of what he did to her."

"This won't be good."

"No," Remus agreed, "it won't."

Lily was in the Hospital Wing for nearly two weeks. True, it did not take that long for the bones to mend or for all the cuts to heal, but the stress she had been putting on herself took a very high emotional toll. She wasn't let out until her sleeping patterns were normal and she was eating fairly regularly again.

However, life was not to be smooth after that ordeal. She was discharged after lunch one afternoon with the strictest orders not to go to class until the following day. Instead, Lily took herself off to her room where she found two letters laying on her bed. The top one she picked up was form the Ministry of Magic, and she read it with dread in her heart.

The parchment fluttered to the floor once she finished. Lily's legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed next to the letter, grabbing the bed post for support. For minutes, she sat there, staring at the wall but seeing nothing. It was only then that she remembered the second letter.

_It's a joke, just a joke. They didn't mean it. Please, it was just a joke._

She reached for the other piece of parchment somewhere on the bed. Her hand found it and gently, her finger wrapped around the folded sheet.

_Lily-Bean_, it read,

_I'm not trying to frighten you, and I'm not even really supposed to be telling you, but I thought you should know. We've gotten information that there's going to be a raid somewhere around Hogwarts. Don't worry. We'd never let it get there; we're on top of it. I just want you to know that I'm thinking of you always._

_How are you, kid? How are the boys? There is little doubt in my mind after Christmas that they'd bother you, but you write so little anymore that I'm never sure. Are you holding up okay, Bean? I know you guys weren't that close, but they are the only parents you have. Are you eating enough? Because you looked so thin, and so sleep-deprived too, Lily. I know I say this every time I write, but I don't want anything to happen to you. I'm worried about you._

_Work's been hectic lately at the Ministry. With this new guy coming to power, everyone tries to ignore him, but they're not doing a very good job. It's taking a toll on everyone's nerves, and we're always short of Aurors. They don't want any of this to get out, but I'm sure Dumbledore already knows. He's such a smart man._

_Well, my break is almost over, and I still need to grab lunch. _

_Love you lots,_

_Luke_

"Luke, you idiot," she breathed, clutching the letter to her face. "You IDIOT!" She screamed the last word which attracted the attention of the four boys who had just entered their dormitory. James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter rushed in to find Lily on the floor with the two pieces of parchment near her. She looked up at the sound of footsteps then spotted James.

As soon as she saw his face, she became enraged and leapt at him, knocking him backward with the sheer surprise of her impact. She swung at him letting out her anger until Remus pulled her off. She was already crying, and Remus held her close.

"Lils, Lils. What happened, Lily?" he asked, trying to lift her face up towards him, but she just kept turned her face away to bury it in his chest.

Sirus finally took her and made her meet his eyes. Tears were streaming out of hers, but he was able to hold her gaze.

"Lily, what happened?" he asked. "Why are you crying, Lily-Flower?"

"Luke – Luke is dead!" She flung the last word at the room. "And his funeral was yesterday. I missed Luke's funeral because of him!" She flung her arm out in James' direction.

"How is this my fault?" James became defensive.

Lily went back to being cradled in Remus' arms, and Sirus took an accusing step toward his best friend.

"Let's think about this logically, shall we?" he said. "Lily blames you for missing her brother's funeral; Lily's been in the Hospital Wing for the past two weeks with four broken ribs. Did you do anything to her that would have caused four broken ribs?"

"I would never!"

"Have you done something to anything that could have caused four broken ribs?"

"Or did Prongs?" Peter put in.

"I never would hurt Lily like that," James insisted.

Lily stepped forward. "Maybe this will refresh your memory." She transformed.

James took one look at the doe, and his eyes went as big as saucers.

"No," he whispered.

"Yes, James."

"Lily, you know I would never…" He took a step toward her, but she transformed and buried herself once more in Remus' arms.

"I don't think now's the time."

James looked around the room into all the faces of the boys. Seeing that they were all turned against him, he left the room, presumably in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch.


	20. OWLs

**Overprotected**

Chapter 20: O.W.L.s

The following months could not have been any worse for Lily. Luke's death weighed heavily on her mind, knowing that it was to protect her that he died. She was still working herself to death, falling into the old habits that her stay in the Hospital Wing had attempted to cure. Only this time, no one could make her leave the comfort of her books: neither Cassie nor Remus nor Sirus could tempt her away; she wouldn't even break to help Peter. In every sense, she retreated from the world.

All of the professors kept a weathered eye on her (as they did every student with a close death), and under their eyes, they watched her become more haggard and sleep-deprived. She had been sent to talk to Professor McGonagall countless times, and when that failed to produce a response, she was even sent to talk with the Headmaster.

Her friends noticed the difference right away, of course. They had seen her retreat after the death of her parents, but they knew this was so much worse. Lily ignored James completely, brushing past him so icily that the room could have frozen, and James was caught staring at Lily while she refused to look at him. The other three boys took Lily's side at first, but when the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, they slowly began to drift back to James. Lily was so withdrawn anyway that it didn't really make a difference.

Lily didn't attempt anymore moonlit outings with her werewolf friend; she stayed safe in the castle. However, those nights were the only breaks she took away from studying. She would sit up at her tower window watching the moon rise and set, and now, she had no trouble staying awake until the last howls died away.

Eventually, the O.W.L.s were upon them, and Lily had so much trouble sleeping that Sirus sat up all night with her as she laid curled in a ball on the one of the Common Room chairs. No one was quite sure how, but somehow, they all made it through. Exams were over, and everyone lounging outside soaking up the last of the rays of the Hogwart's year. The four Marauders were seated underneath one of the trees, looking for something to do, and Lily was pacing at the edge of the lake. When she heard laughter, her head immediately snapped up, and she turned to the source: a group gathering around the boys while Severus Snape groped for his wand.

Remus wouldn't do anything, she knew, so she took the incentive and made her way over there.

Three hours later, Lily was still in her room, still flung down on her bed, still upset, but not still crying. No one had dared to come up to her in these hours after she had humiliated James in front of the student body. She had publically denounced him in favor of a Slytherin, even after than Slytherin had called her the foulest name he could. However, no one could know that the scene humiliated Lily much more than either boy.

Eventually, Remus did find his way up. He knocked on her door and entered at her dry allowance. When he came in, he found her spread on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I think you killed him today," Remus told Lily while looking out the tower window. While he believed that James acted horribly, he acted on impulse, and Lily had no right to abandon her own House.

"I know, Remus," she replied in a whisper, not daring to look at him. "I don't know what came over me. I never would have said that to him."

"Lily, you need to tell him that. I know you have pride, but he does, too. He knows that he hurt you, but you have to know that he never meant to do any of that." He turned around to look at the girl, but she still wouldn't make eye contact. "I don't have to tell you that he loves you. We all do, and you're scaring us."

The sandy-haired boy turned once more to the young girl then made a move to exit the room.

"Tell him, Lily."

He left. She heard the door to her room click shut softly, and footsteps exited the boys' dormitory.

It was about fifteen minutes later that the dormitory door opened again, and Lily heard someone flop down on a bed. Without any explanation, she knew instinctively that it was James. She wasn't sure at first but then gathered up her Gryffindor courage and went out to face him.

James didn't look up when he heard her door open and shut, figuring she would just pass by him. However, she slid onto the edge of the bed and buried her head in the pillow. He rolled over, facing away from her, to the very end of his property.

"What do you want?" he snapped harshly. "Haven't you done enough?'

She just laid there, not saying anything, not quite trusting herself to speak

It was torture for James. He wanted to look over at her so badly, to take her up in his arms and hold her, but he didn't do any of that. He stayed silent, knowing that she came for a reason.

Eventually, she found her voice. "I – I'm sorry, James." She was hesitant at first and played with the edge of the pillow. "I can't make excuses for what I did. I don't know what happened. Snape…he called me filth, but I still stuck up for him…and over you! James…"

She was looking at him finally, and when he turned over to face her, he saw pleading in her eyes. He knew she was hurt. He knew that she had spoken out of fury. He knew that he was finally forgiven.

"Sweet Merlin, Lily!" he breathed suddenly and pulled her close. "I'm sure I deserved every word you said about me! I know I hurt you so badly, and trust me, I have beaten myself up every minute for causing you so much pain. Why didn't you say something, Flower?"

She laughed, almost bitterly.

"And what would you have done, James, if you found out that I had gone behind your back to become Animagus? Don't answer," she said quickly, as she saw the look on his face. "There wasn't another way. Remus is my friend, too, and I want to help him."

"I love you, Lils. I just want to protect you. If anything were to happen to you…" he trialed off, fumbling for the right phrase.

"But something has happened to me, James." She found his eyes and put her hand in his. "I've worked myself to death, my parents died, I scraped myself up, got four broken ribs, Luke died… I'm not blaming anyone. It's just that the world is changing, and you won't always be there to protect me."

"Why can't I? I want to be there, always."

"I'm sorry, James. I just…I can't right now. So much has been going on…" She wriggled out from his grip and left the dormitory, leaving James staring in her wake. Sirus Black came up a few minutes later to find James still staring at the door.

"Lily-Flower just came down," Sirus said to James. "She talk to you?"

"Yeah." James finally looked away from the door.

"And…"

"And what?"

"Are you two still not speaking?"

"Obviously not."

"You're a bloody wall, do you know that?" Sirus burst out.

James let out a frustrated sigh. "We talked, pretty much about how things aren't so great right now. I think she forgave me; it was in her eyes, but I'm not sure what's going to happen."

"Buck up, mate. If she's forgiven you, you're in the clear."

James nodded; he could only hope that Sirus was right.


	21. Going Home for the Summer

**Overprotected**

Chapter 21: Going Home for the Summer

It was the last day of the school year, and Hogwarts was buzzing with energy. Most students were in their dormitories this beautiful morning packing, except James, Sirus, Remus, Peter, and Lily. Knowing that today was Lily's birthday, they had all packed ahead of schedule to be able to spend the morning outside by the lake.

"Having a good birthday, Lils?" Remus asked with a smile.

"As always," Lily replied grinning back. She knew that her friends would do anything for her, and they spared nothing for her birthday.

"And here's the final touch." Peter produced a wrapped package which Lily slowly opened. Inside was a glass sphere that tingled with magic, and she knew immediately that the boys had charmed it. The sphere housed an auburn lily, and though it was rather cliché, Lily loved it. Every year, the boys gave her something lily related. From anyone else, it would have been just plain stupid, but from the boys, it was always special.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"Wait, there's more. Keep your eye on the glass," James commanded.

Lily watched, and soon enough, animals came out from between the petals. There was one for each of them, and Lily's eyes lit up with delight.

"Still like it?" Sirus asked.

"I love it!" Lily exclaimed. She hugged each of the boys in turn, and as they saw her face light up, theirs lit up, too. They all saw a glow in her eyes that had been missing since at least December. Suddenly, someone's stomach growled.

"Sorry, guys," Peter said bashfully. "Can we get some breakfast?"

"We really should," Remus added. "Especially if we don't want to miss the train."

"Yeah, that would be horrible," Lily muttered under her breath.

"Sorry?"  
"Nothing, nothing."

The five picked themselves up and headed inside, Lily following regretfully, as she had a habit of doing lately.

They snuck into their seats just as Professor Dumbledore was making some last remarks about boarding the train. Each of them looked around thankfully that they hadn't missed too much, but Lily and Remus saw Professor McGonagall shoot the five Gryffindors a stern look.

In just about an hour, the whole student body was on the Hogwarts Express, ready to begin their journey home. James, Sirus, Remus, Peter, and Lily found their usual compartment on the train, stowed their luggage away, then settled in comfortably for the long ride home.

It was getting dark when they pulled into Platform 9 ¾ and the students erupted from the train, joyful for the start of vacation. Lily slipped out with the four boys but disappeared into the growing crowd. They attempted to find her, but June Potter soon flagged down James and Sirus. Remus and Peter exchanged niceties with Mrs. Potter then left in search of their own families. None of the boys were happy with their failure to find Lily.

However, Lily wasn't as far as any of them thought, as the Potters and Sirus proved when they walked back into the Muggle world. She had indeed quickly taken off, purposely not giving any of the boys a chance to inquire after her summer plans. Truth be told, she didn't know where she was going, and once out of the wizard world, this knowledge was acute. She sat down on her trunk in desperation and stared off into space, tears coming to her eyes.

"Lily-Flower, you okay?" Sirus asked, the first to spot her. He led James and June over as Lily quickly brushed the tears from her eyes.

"Lils, this is my mum, June Potter," James introduced. "Mum, this is Lily Evans."

"Pleased to meet you," Lily said formally, and shook hands with Mrs. Potter.

"You okay?" Sirus asked again.

"Just…waiting." Lily wouldn't look at either of the two boys.

June took Lily's hand, causing the younger girl to look up into the older woman's kind eyes. "What are you plans for the summer?"

"I'm not really sure," Lily whispered. She could evade the question from the boys but not from James' mother. "My sister, Petunia has custody of me, now that she's eighteen. She won't come get me though; I've never had any delusions of that." The last part sounded hurt and bitter. It was the first taste either boy had gotten of her less than perfect home life.

"Alright, come one then." June didn't sound surprised, and she began to walk away. Lily stayed rooted to her spot and looked confused. June turned around and looked somewhat impatient, but her voice was still kind. "Come along, dear. You'll come home with us."

Lily stood in shock for a minute then her eyes began to light up. She looked and sounded like a little child. "Really? Oh, thank you, Mrs. Potter!" She quickly embraced the older woman who just kept smiling.

"Call me 'Mum P'. All of the boys do, well, Sirus at least, and since you'll be part of the family, you might as well."

Lily smiled, really smiled again that day, and she followed June to the car along with James and Sirus. They loaded all of their trunks and other luggage in the back of the car then headed around to the front. Lily watched as James and Sirus grappled over the front seat.

"Sirus, get in the back. You've lost, dear," June said still in her kind voice, a smile in her eyes.

Sirus grumbled but relinquished the seat to James. He moved back and climbed into the car with Lily.

"It's a good thing I didn't bring your father," June said once they were in the car and out on the road. "It would have been a pretty tight squeeze with the three of you back there."

"Oh, Lily wouldn't have minded," Sirus said, and the other three could hear the joke in his voice. "I think she's used to us by now."

He looked over to Lily, fully expecting her to reply, but she had fallen silent and went back to looking out the window. Getting in the car seemed to evoke some memory in the little flower, and no one bothered her. Eventually, she fell asleep, and Sirus leaned her body against his in what he assumed would be a more comfortable position. He chatted with Mrs. Potter and James until the motion of the car lulled him to sleep, too.

"So, how was your year, dear?" June asked her son.

"Mum, you know how my year was," James replied. "I owl you all the time."

"You haven't owled me since before your O.W.L.s. You and Lily hadn't been on the best of terms then, and you never explained."

"How did you know about that? I never wrote specifically."

"Yes, you never wrote _specifically_, James," June said with a laugh, "but I'm your mother. I can tell when you're unhappy, or hiding something."

"It's well, somewhat of a secret."

"It's illegal, isn't it?"

James swallowed rather loudly then nodded with a look of dread on his face.

"You can't tell Dad. Please, Mum. It's his floor in the Ministry, and we can't be expelled! You see, well, Remus is…Remus is a werewolf. We found out second year, more Lily found out. It took her two months when we hadn't gotten it in a year. We wanted to help him out; we had learned about them, and it sounds awful. Lily again figured out that animals wouldn't be affected so we went to become Animagus." James took this opportunity to look over at his mother; she didn't even look fazed. He continued. "It took us a year to find everything we needed before we could start. I have no clue how many potions we ended up brewing before we got it right, but we finally finished around this past November."

"I assume it was correct, and you are all fine."

"Couldn't be better, Mum. But see, Lily wasn't happy. I wouldn't let her help because, well… She was mad. Somehow, she got some of the potion too though because she ended up with us January, but none of us knew until later."  
"Was that why you two were fighting?"

"Partially, but not really. She was already upset when I started to go out with Cassie, and then I did something awful."

James looked at his mother again, but she was still concentrating on the road ahead of her. He wasn't met with disapproval or chiding, just a willing listener.

"We ran across a doe in January while we were out. I didn't think, and in the end, I tried to make it pretty clear that she wasn't welcome with us; she thought she had more right to be there than we did. She was right, but I felt threatened. I'm a stag."

"Lily's the doe? I assume that's where this is going."

"Yes, but that's not the worst part. We met up again in March, and I let my instincts take over, I suppose. She ended up with four broken ribs and numerous cuts. Not that I knew that yet either, but we had a very taxing spell in Transfiguration the next day. She was out of school for two weeks, and during that time, Luke was killed. She missed the funeral and blamed it on me. That's when I finally figured it out. We didn't speak until after O.W.L.s, after the called me out in front of Snape. I deserved it, but she felt bad. We're alright now, but it's only a recent thing.

June reached over to squeeze her son's hand. She had known that something had been wrong, and now the mystery was solved. Where James had expected a lecture, all he got was understanding and love; it was a relief.

"Do you know what's between her and her sister?"

"No," James answered slowly, his face bent in puzzlement. "She's never indicated that home wasn't pleasant. In fact, she never mentions home very often. Any time it comes up, she dismisses the subject entirely."

"It'll come out in good time," June replied casually. "Remind me to owl Albus Dumbledore when we get home. I'm sure he already knows that we have Lily, but it can't hurt to send him something anyway."

It wasn't a long ride to where the Potters lived, and in no time, they had arrived. When the car stopped, James roughly shoved Sirus awake who then more gently woke Lily.

Taking pity on the teens, Mrs. Potter levitated their trunks into the house where Mr. Potter was waiting with the House Elves busily preparing dinner. Harold kissed his wife and hugged the two boys as James introduced Lily.

"Ah, so you're Lily Evans," Harold said, shaking her hand. "We really have heard so much about you. Between James and Sirus, they barely speak of anything else."

Lily blushed madly causing June to save her.

"Now, now, Harold. That's not true. Quidditch is always on their tongues, as is food. Though, dear," she said, addressing Lily once more, "if you have managed half of what they say you've accomplished, you're already a very powerful witch."

"I took a look at what you gave the boys for Christmas," Harold continued. "Quite magnificent spell work. How old are you again?"

"I just turned fourteen today."

Amazing. Technically, you should only be entering your Fourth Year come September, and you're already performing spells that some Sixth Years couldn't handle. Amazing. It'll be a delight to have you this summer."

Lily suddenly remembered why she was there, and her mood instantly began to fall. James picked up on this.

"Mum, when are we going to eat?"

"I nearly forgot! Now, if it's all ready."

The five made their way into the kitchen where a lone house elf was patiently waiting.

"Hello, Stunly," Mrs. Potter addressed the creature. "Is dinner ready?"

"Yes, mistress," Stunly replied with a smile. He was small, even for elf standards, but the Potters knew his magic far surpassed their own and respected him all the more for it.

"Thank you, Stunly. You can serve it whenever you are ready. Then get some rest. Miss Lily will be staying with us this summer, and I'm sure you'll want to show her your best skills."

Stunly bobbled excitedly. Company was his special favorite especially if it meant he had the chance to wow them with his power. No one ever left the Potter house with criticism of the food.

The five of them sat down at the round table where piping hot food arrived in due time. As usual, there were no complaints, and whenever something came dangerously close to being empty, there was always more waiting to magically appear. Everyone sat back contently once they had their fill; eyelids began to flutter and hands stifled yawns.

"Would you look at the time!" June exclaimed suddenly, glancing at her watch. "I know you probably won't sleep, but we might as well settle you in."

She got up from the table, and James, Sirus, and Lily followed her lead. The Potter house was not overly large, but it was surely impressive. June led the young adults through this, only Lily taking everything in for the first time. They stopped at the top of the first flight of stairs.

"James, your trunk is already in your room, and Sirus, we've decided to move you in to the guest room next to James'. You will find your trunk waiting."

"Sirus can share with me, Mum," James said. "I don't mind. Besides where's Lily going to sleep?"

"Since Sirus has moved in, I think he deserves a room of his own. And Lily can sleep in the attic room. It's just been renovated. Follow me, dear."

She led Lily up another flight of stairs into the attic. It was a small space, painted a light sky blue, with various sized clouds floating along the ceiling. A day bed was eloquently pushed against one wall under a window, and a dresser stood against the opposite wall. Set in a corner was a desk piled to the top with parchment, quills, old spell books, and the like. The other half of the space was filled to the brim with boxes labeled in symbols that Lily didn't understand.

"Well, here you are, dear. The décor, of course, can be changed easily if you'd like. Some might find the clouds a little whimsical, but they remind me of the ceiling in the Great Hall."

"It's lovely!" Lily breathed and hugged the older woman. She was still overwhelmed with gratitude toward all the kindness the Potters were showing toward her, even after knowing her for a few short hours.

"I'm glad you think so. I'll just let you get settled in then; your trunk is in the corner over there."

With that, June Potter turned and made her way back down the steps, and Lily was left alone. When things were going on, she could ignore the misplaced sense, but alone, she couldn't but help to remember why things were this way. It made her quite lonely, so she sat down on the daybed and looked out the window. Within the hour, she fell into a fitful slumber.

If Lily had looked at the clock when she woke up, she would have seen that it was just shy of two in the morning. However, she walked in a sleepy haze down the stairs of her room into the hallway below. She came to James' room first and stuck her head in. He was sprawled out in the absolute middle of his bed, covers and clothes in heaps around him. If she hadn't been in his house with his parents two doors down, she would have laid down next to him, but Lily wasn't sure how the Potters would react. Seeing as there wasn't much floor space either, Lily went next door to Sirus' room.

Sirus' bed was on the wall opposite the door so Lily had a direct, if not groggy, view of him. He was in much the same position as James, except that most of the clothes were on the floor. Lily however, found something that sparked her interest: a couch was leaning casually against the wall next to the door.

As she creaked open the door father, Sirus rolled over to face her. He blinked a couple of times then rubbed his eyes, as if to make sure someone was actually there. Determining someone was, he half propped himself up on one elbow.

Lily-Flower?" he asked, half asleep still. "That you?"

"Yes." She entered the room and stood in the middle, looking rather helpless and tired.

"What's wrong."

"I couldn't sleep." She really did sound so innocent and in need of protection. "James' room is messy, and you have a couch." She sat down on the afore mentioned piece of furniture. "Do you have another pillow? I left mine upstairs."

Sirus finally got out of his bed, grabbed a second pillow, and walked over to where Lily was seated. At first, she thought he was going to hand her the pillow, but he threw it on the couch and picked her up.

"Sirus. She sounded somewhat scared. "What are you doing?"

He walked back over to the bed and dropped her unceremoniously down. For himself, Sirus walked over to the couch and flopped on top of it.

"You take the bed; I'm fine on here. I've slept on worse."

Lily started to protest, but sleep overcame her once more. Words half formed were left dangling in the air, and Sirus was able to sleep easier.


	22. The First Day

**Overprotected**

Chapter 22: The First Day

James Potter woke up the next morning with sunlight streaming through his windows. All was quiet, and he took a peaceful moment to get his mind functioning before rolling out of bed. He made his way next door and stood in the doorframe gazing the room over. A figure was still in bed, covers covering the whole body, not even a trace of hair sticking out.

"Sirus, get your lazy bum out of bed," James called to who he assumed was his sleeping friend. "Lily's probably up and waiting by now."

"James, mate, my lazy bum's been out of bed longer than your lazy bum has."  
By this point, James was nearly on top of the sleeping person. Hearing the voice, he turned to see Sirus grinning from the doorway.

"Then who's this?" He sounded so confused and sat down on the bed. The figure shifted at the added weight.

"That is our dear Lily-Flower."

"Down here?"

"Obviously."

James gave Sirus a look that clearly said he wanted the full story.

"She said she couldn't sleep. Your room was too messy so she came her. She would have slept on the couch, but I tossed her on the bed and slept on the couch myself."

"So I should go clean my room."

Sirus bit back a laugh and was about to speak again when a sound interrupted him.

"Someone talking about me?" a groggy voice asked from behind where James was sitting. Lily sat up and almost collided into the boy in front of her.

"Hey, Flower," James greeted while Sirus put out a simple, "Morning."

"Your bed's comfy, Sirus. Better than any of the junk I would have had to sleep on if I stayed in James' room."

"Hey!" James protested. "My bed's just as good as Sirus'."

"I was talking about the floor. I didn't think your parents would like the bed thing, although I did consider it."

"So why did you come down, Flower?" James asked, changing the subject.

"I was lonely up there," Lily answered, far more simply than the matter actually was. "I'm not that used to sleeping alone anymore, especially not after O.W.L.s. I know it doesn't seem like I sleep a lot, but it really is worse without you."

"How do you survive the summer?" Sirus asked, half joking but serious at the same time.

"I stay with Luke as much as I can."

"And your parents –"

But Sirus was cut off by another voice downstairs.

"James, Sirus, are you two up yet? Breakfast is ready," June Potter called up the stairs. "See if Lily's up, but let her sleep if she's not. The poor girl looks like she could use it."

Lily blushed madly. "I didn't think it was that obvious."

"Are you kidding? You look like you're dying half the year."

"James, what do you say I move back into your room so that Lily can have mine. Maybe she'll sleep this summer."

"Yeah, fine. I'll talk to Mum later. Let's get downstairs before she comes up here to get us."

The other two agreed, and all three headed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Your mum's not working today then I gather," Sirus said as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"No, neither is Dad. Their days off fell on the same day this week."

"You're in for a treat then, Lily-Flower. There's always more to do when they're both home…well, better food anyway."

Lily laughed. She knew she could definitely live with this all summer.

June was waiting for them at the entrance to the kitchen.

"See, I had thought that as soon as 'food' was mentioned, you would be down here faster than if you had apperated." June laughed. "I see I was wrong. What took you?" She then spotted Lily who had followed James and Sirus down. "So you are up. I hope the boys didn't wake you. You can go back up and sleep if you'd like."

"No, thanks, Mrs. – Mum P.," Lily replied. "I don't think I'd be able to fall back asleep anyway."

"Alright then. Come on, breakfast is waiting."

The three young adults followed June into the kitchen where Harold Potter was waiting at the table with the Daily Profit. He looked up when they entered and exchanged morning greetings with the new comers.

The rest of the family sat down quickly, and James and Sirus began to eye up the food as all the scents began to fill their noses. At June's allowance, they all began to eat. The boys' full attentions were on their food while June attempted to involve Lily in some casual small talk but steering well away from any mention of her family. The younger girl dutifully answered and seemingly ignored her food all together.

"Is there anything I can get you, dear?" June asked eventually. "You've barely touched your eggs and toast. If you don't like it, that's perfectly understandable; I, myself, didn't eat eggs until after I was married."

"No, I'm fine," Lily replied, conscious of two more pairs of eyes on her. James and Sirus had stopped to watch this unfold and see if Mrs. Potter could get Lily to eat. "I'm just not really hungry."

"Alright, but the kitchen is always open. James and Sirus know that very well."

The two in question looked sheepish and went back to their food. After a few more minutes of light talk, James brought up the next topic of conversation.

"Mum," he started, "do you think we could have Remus and Peter over next month? Since Sirus and Lily are here, it'll be like having the whole gang together."

The Potters laughed.

"Even if Sirus and Lily weren't here, you could still have your friends over," June replied. "I enjoy having a full house, and your friends are always welcome here."

"Thanks, Mum. We'll be good."

"You'll be as good as you always are, I assume. As long as you don't set fire to the house this year."

"You set fire to the house?" Lily asked as everyone got up from the table.

"Yeah," Sirus answered, not at all ashamed. "We were planning pranks. Luckily – or unluckily – Mum P. was home."

"Lucky for you," James growled. "You were on fire. I got yelled at for an hour straight."

"Well, some of us are luckier than others. Listen, Lily-Flower. Why don't you go upstairs. There's parchment on my desk and probably somewhere on James', if you can find it. Start letters to Remus and Peter; we'll be up in a minute."

Lily looked hesitant but kept going. Sirus turned to find Mrs. Potter, and James followed him. She was in the parlor reading.

"Mum P," Sirus said, almost hesitantly, entering the room. "I have a request."

"What is it, Sirus dear?"

"I'd like to move back in with James so Lily can have my room. She couldn't sleep last night and ended up sleeping there anyway."

"Do you know what was wrong?" June sounded very concerned.

"She said she was lonely, that she wasn't used to sleeping so far away from us." Sirus decided to be entirely truthful. "Her room is right next to ours in the Tower, connects to ours actually. And she doesn't sleep very well in the first place. During the O.W.L.s, it was so bad that I sat up with her every night while she was curled on the couch just so she would relax. She looks sleep-deprived, and she is."  
"Of course, Sirus. Move back in with James. You would have had to when Remus and Peter came over anyway."

"Thanks, Mum P."

With that, James and Sirus hurried up stairs to find Lily.

She was lying on James' bed when they reached her, parchment and quill in hand. James and Sirus could see that she had started lengthy letters to both Remus and Peter, but something had caused her to abandon that task mid-thought. Coming closer, it looked almost like she was sleeping. James sad down on his bed to retrieve the quill and parchment, and Lily rolled over to look at him.

"We thought you were asleep, Flower," James told her gently.

"Obviously not," she replied.

"Well, pack your bags then, and bring them down here," Sirus said with excitement. "You're moving into my room."  
"And James agreed to this arrangement?"

"I'm moving back in with him."

"Though I doubt we'll really sleep where we should," James continued. "Especially once Remus and Peter get here."

Lily went up to the attic room where she collected her trunk while Sirus moved his stuff into James' room, and James finished the letters to the other two boys. Lily offered up Rose to take one letter while James' owl took the other. Then all there was to do was wait and take pleasure in each other's company.


	23. Small Talk

**Overprotected**

Chapter 23: Small Talk

About ten days later, June Potter had her next day off, and she, James, Sirus, and Lily had just sat down for lunch. The boys hadn't lied to Lily: it was fun when just the three of them were home, but the food was better when one of James' parents was around.

"Mum P," Sirus breached a subject carefully. "I was thinking that it's probably time for me to move out. I've been taking advantage of your hospitality for too long now."

James looked outraged, but June just sat there waiting to see what would happen next.

"Then I can't stay here any longer either," Lily said suddenly. "I don't want to impose. If Sirus can find his own place, I can, too."

"Lily!" James and Sirus exclaimed at the same time. Sirus kept talking. "I'm coming of age in a few months; you're coming of age in a few years. There's a difference."

"Besides," James continued, "I just got letters back from Remus and Peter. Remus can come, but he has to leave the last week. Same for Peter; he's going on holiday in Spain."

"See, Sirus dear," June finally spoke up, "it makes no sense for you to leave now. You'll just be back in a few days for the next month. Think of the rent you'd be paying for not even living in the flat."

That settled the matter for them all. While Sirus stayed, Lily made no mention of leaving, but it was always on the back of his mind.

The day finally arrived when Peter showed up, via floo, at the Potters' house. They were expecting Remus that day, but it didn't worry anyone much when he didn't show up. After all, the full moon had only been two nights ago, and Remus had to recover alone this month. So James, Sirus, Peter, and Lily spent a few days catching up, playing a little Quidditch, and just lying around.

Within the week, Remus arrived, too. It was one of the days that Harold had off from work so once Remus had dropped off his bags, the five of them went out into the woods behind the house.

Lily and the other three boys eyed Remus up and down closely, noting the new scar that had appeared on his right arm. They were making small talk, but Remus could feel their stares. Lily was looking straight ahead, having glanced over him once, but she was walking so close that she was nearly in his arms.

They came to a halt when they could no longer see that house. James, Sirus, and Peter turned to face Remus while Lily stayed at his side.

"Guys, really," Remus tried, "I'm fine."

Suddenly, the other three boys were gone, and in their places stood Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail. The stag and dog began sniffing the remaining Marauder all over, and the rat began to inspect higher points. It was as if they thought animals could discover his condition better than humans could.

However, Remus had had enough. In the blink of an eye, he became the sandy owl and flew up to Lily's shoulder where she let him perch. The three other animals were so surprised that they transformed back, Peter landing awkwardly from where he had fallen from Remus' shoulder.

"You're Animagus, too?" James asked rather confused. "But you never drank the potion with us; it had silver in it!"  
"That's right, you don't know," Sirus muttered to himself, but James heard and turned accusingly.

"_You_ knew about this!"

Sirus looked sheepish. "It's not really my fault, mate. You stormed out before the story was told. It's a nice animal though, Moony, and nocturnal."

Remus transformed back. "Thanks. It's actually really cool to be able to fly."

"I bet," Peter breathed in wonder.

James cleared his throat impatiently. "Is anyone going to clue me in here, since I obviously missed something?"  
"It's not that hard to come up with a silver essence that doesn't have a drop of the stuff in it," Lily interjected calmly.

"Not everyone's a potions genius, Lils," Remus replied, and Lily blushed.

"Wait, wait! You did this?" James turned almost threateningly towards Lily.

"Remus is my friend, too, and you wouldn't let me help. There was no way I was being left out of that. I just had Remus nick some out of your last batch and followed the directions myself – with the exception of the silver. I wanted Remus to be able to have a shape, too. Ours was done a couple days after yours, maybe two or three days after the moon in November."

Now James turned accusingly to Remus. "You let her do this?"

"Don't think he was happy with it either, James."  
"I wasn't, mate," Remus added. "I knew how you felt, but she was offering me a chance to become Animagus. Who can turn that down?"

James let out an amazed sigh and rushed to hug Lily. "I don't know how you do it all, Flower, without killing yourself. Especially with those fumes from the potion; they were bad with vents. And…and… Merlin, Lily!"

He didn't know what else to say so he fell silent, but he kept holding her. In a way, it was very comforting to Lily; she had thought they would have ended up fighting, but he just accepted it – more or less.

The other boys began to shoot uncomfortable glances at one another, wondering how long they could let this go on before pulling James off Lily. However, he moved his arms soon enough, holding her arms-length away.

"So are you going to let me knowingly come on your monthly adventures, now?" Lily asked, now that it seemed the danger was over.

"Don't push your luck," James answered, but Lily knew he had given in.


	24. Muggle Money

**Overprotected**

Chapter 24: Muggle Money

The five were wandering around a little Muggle town in their area later that month when Lily stumbled across another problem.

They hadn't eaten lunch that day, only a big breakfast rummaged out of whatever they could find in the kitchen. Peter had suggested ice cream (for that is what they often did on days like these), and they had all agreed. After all, it was summer, and it tasted absolutely wonderful on hot day.

"I'll pay," Lily said as they entered the little brightly lit store. They always took turns paying for treats like this, but so far, the boys had always given up their money.

"How much do you have?" James asked.

"Ten pounds and another fifty in my trunk."

"Save it for your school books. It'll have to come from somewhere. We can change it when we go to Gringotts."

"I have a vault there; this isn't the only money I have. Luke took better care of me than that. He convinced my parents that I needed money and put it in there." She grew quiet all of the sudden. "But he had the key."

"He probably left it for you," Sirus put in.

"But how?" Lily was trying to piece together everything in her mind without attaching the word "death". "I don't know who cleaned out his flat, and actually, I never heard his will." The statement was so inconceivable to Lily that she couldn't even comprehend it fully for a few minutes. In all truthfulness, she had completely forgotten about the will, with everything that happened around his death.

"Well, it so happens that my dad has access to all of that at the Ministry. He actually sorts all that stuff out with a couple of others. I'm sure he could help you out there."

Lily's eyes lit up, struggling with emotion. She was glad to have found this lost part of her brother but sad at all that it stood for. There really was no going back.

That night, after dinner, while Harold Potter was in his study, Lily knocked timidly on the door. It was not that she was afraid of this kind man, she just wasn't sure how to pose the questions she had to ask.

"Come in," he called out.

Lily opened the door silently and walked into the room. It was a deep red in color with tall bookshelves lining nearly all the walls. The only completely empty wall was the one that bore a large window overlooking the forest and two stately portraits. She assumed that they were of some relation to the Potters because one had James' exact eyes and the other his jet black hair.

Harold had stood up and turned to greet Lily as she walked through the door. The two of them sat on the seat in front of the massive window as Harold turned his kindly eyes on the young girl.

"You look as if something's on your mind."

"I'm not quite sure how to ask this," Lily started, "but James told me that you handled this kind of thing. I realized today that I've never read Luke's will, and I was wondering if you could find out what was in it, for me please."

"Of course, Lily. That is my department, after all. Let's see." He thought for a minute. "Remus and Peter are leaving in three days; how about you come into the office with me the next day, and I'll dig it out for you. That way you can see for yourself what he left. Plus, we have rooms in the Ministry where they put the unclaimed belongings of the deceased. I'm positive I've filled out a request for a room for Luke Evans. You can have a look in there, too and empty it out."

"Has my sister…" Lily trailed off, uncertain what to say on the matter.

"She was given what he left to her and taken items which she cherished. However, she was not allowed to take anything that specifically belonged to you and most of it was useless to her, having no need for magical items and what not."

Lily was once more struggling with mixed emotions. She was thankful that this was being done and that Petunia hadn't been able to take her stuff, but at the same time, she was bitter because while she was stuck in the Hospital Wing, Petunia had been able to read Luke's will. Reliving the horrible memories nearly made tears roll down Lily's cheeks, something that didn't escape her new father's notice.

"Lily." He looked at her full of concern. "Lily, are you alright? What's the matter?"  
"Nothing," Lily was able to stammer out. Then she the older man. "Thank you, Dad-P."

With that, she quickly left the study and practically ran all the way to James' room. They'd all be there because that's where they gathered every night to plan, talk, and eventually sleep, weary bodies falling all over each other. She threw herself at Remus because he was sitting on the floor closest to the door.

He was shocked by the action and even more shocked that she was nearly sobbing. Rubbing her back soothingly, he tried to get her to look at him.

"It's okay," he said quietly. "Why don't you tell us what's wrong, Lils."

"Your family's so amazing, James," she broke out. "They – they're what parents should be, so willing to do anything!"

The four boys tried everything they could think of, but nothing could get Lily to say any more on the subject. Eventually, she fell asleep, and the boys followed suite a few hours later.

Remus was the first one to be leaving after the three allotted days. His bags were packed and sitting by the fireplace where he was expected to come down and floo from in a few minutes. He was held up, however, because the Marauders and Lily were having their own private good-bye in James' room.

All the boys had shone their respective signs of affection, and at the moment, Lily had nearly latched herself onto Remus.

"Can't we come with you, Rem?" she pleaded. "It's not fair that you should have to go through this alone, especially when we can help you."  
"And what would I tell my parents, Lils?" Remus teased. "'Hello, Mum, Dad. My friends are coming to stay with me while I transform. It's okay though because they're under-age unregistered animagus.' Sorry, Lils. There are some things that I have to do alone. Besides, you guys won't always be here for me."

"And why can't we?"  
Remus laughed and shook his head. "Listen to yourself; you sound just like James here. He's said the exact same things to you."

Lily just blushed and finally let go of Remus. He smiled at her encouragingly.

"See. It won't be that bad, and I'll meet you all in Diagon Ally before term starts."

They all affirmed the suggestion, and Remus finally led the way downstairs. He made his good-byes to Mr. and Mrs. Potter and thanked them once more for letting him stay so long during another summer. Looking back at them all, he stepped into the fire. Seconds later, he was gone.

Two hours later, it was Peter's turn to leave. Lily hugged him tightly and wished him a happy holiday in Spain; James and Sirus clapped him warmly on the back and told him not to have too much fun without them. Don't forget, they were meeting in Diagon Ally before school started. Peter promised he wouldn't.

He, too, dutifully said good-bye to the Potters and thanked them profoundly for having him. They assured him it was no trouble at all. Like Remus, he stepped into the fire and was gone in a few seconds.

The house seemed very quiet without those two boys, which was odd since Sirus and James made plenty of noise by themselves. However, it was emptier too, and James, Sirus, and Lily spent the night trying to make the rooms feel full again.


	25. The Will

**Overprotected**

Chapter 25: The Will

True to his word, Harold Potter took Lily into the Ministry with him the next day. They road the underground to the Apperation Point where Lily stopped short.

"But I can't Apperate yet," she said worriedly.

"Just grab on to my arm and hold it tight. I can bring both of us," Harold told her. "Make sure you don't let go."

Lily was a bit perplexed at all of the extra warnings, but once the process started, she realized their cause. It felt as though she was being squeezed along a very narrow tube. There were times when she knew her fingers couldn't possibly retain their grip, but somehow her feet hit solid ground next to Mr. Potter.

A group of fierce-looking wizards surrounded them as soon as their feet hit the ground.

"State your name and business," the oldest, gruffest one commanded.

"I am Harold Potter. Department of Deceased Wizard Affairs –"

"Yes, we know you, Potter. What about the girl?"

"This is –"

"Let her answer for herself. Who are you, girl, and what is your business?"

"My – my name is Lily Evans. I am here to find out about the will of my brother, Luke Evans."

"We know your brother, girl, knew him, rather. Bring her through security next time, Potter. The Minister's very anxious not to have any funny business around here."

The circle of wizards backed away, leaving a clear path for Harold and Lily. He prodded her forward and didn't say anything until they were safely out of earshot.

"The Ministry's so uptight these days, with all this business of this You-Know-Who fellow," Harold explained as he passed in front of the younger girl. "The Minister of Magic doesn't want anything to happen under his watch."

Lily was shaking, something which Harold picked up on as soon as he looked back on her.

"Don't mind Shacklebolt," he said kindly. "He just lost his wife in childbirth. His son survived, but just barely."

"Couldn't they have done anything for her?"

"She was a squib and venomously against magic."

"Then how –" But Lily was cut off by the arrival of the elevator. She followed Harold inside just staring in wonder at everything around her while Harold acknowledged several people. The occupants got on and off before Harold and Lily made their exit on the eighth floor. Nearly half of the paper airplanes that had been hovering at the ceiling followed them out, and just as many took their places.

"What are those?" Lily asked, staring at the charmed objects with wonder.

"Those? Oh, the Ministry uses them for communication between workers. That way we don't have to walk all over the building for a simple question."

They had just turned off of the main corridor into a slightly smaller one lined with doors that were all painted tacky, bright colors. It almost made Lily want to cry.

"Yes, they are horrible, aren't they?" Harold replied to her darkening face. "The last Department Head seemed to think that it would make people less upset during their visit, but more people come out crying than come in. Ah, here we are."  
They stopped in front of one of the more hideous lime green doors. Tapping his wand twice on the doorknob, something clicked, and the door swung open. Light was flooding in from somewhere, illuminating a rather cramped room, piled high with parchment and several paper airplanes waiting on the desk. Harold opened them, one-by-one and read them all; one piece of parchment, he handed to Lily.

"This is your authorization to read your brother's will and access storage. I would take you down there now, but there are pressing matters I must attend to." He walked out of his office and knocked on the flaming orange door next to his. "Prewett, are you in yet?"

The door opened and out stepped a man with bright orange hair who Lily swore was vaguely familiar from somewhere.

"Yes, sir," the young man answered. He was tall, not extremely thin, but muscular, with a friendly air about him.

"Good," Harold replied. "I have Lily Evans with me, here to see her brother's will, but there are pressing matters that I must attend to. I can't leave her here or bring her with me, due to the state of the Ministry; could she stay with you?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter. Molly will be glad to have the company."

"Your sister's in again," Harold stated more than asked, and a red head stuck itself out form behind a filing cabinet. Lily's eyes went wide when she saw who it was. "I'll let you get back to work. Thank you, Prewett."

"No problem at all, sir."

Harold left then, after nudging Lily into the much younger man's office. Molly came fully out from behind the cabinet and began to inspect Lily. Just as she was about to speak, the man interrupted her.

"Hello, Lily Evans," he said, holding out his hand. "I'm Fabian Prewett. Nice to meet you."

"Oh, Fabe, I doubt she cares," Molly exclaimed as Lily took Fabian's hand and shook it hesitantly. "Lily, this is my brother. I doubt you would know him; he graduated with your brother."

That's when Lily remembered the name. "No," she started, dimly searching her memories, "you and your brother were at Luke's flat sometimes, late at night…" Fabian looked uncomfortable. "I think. And James and Sirus said that you two were the greatest Beaters Hogwarts has ever seen."

"Oh, I doubt that," he replied, and a smile came back over his face. "Just because we were the one ones they had ever seen there, doesn't mean that we were the best. From what I've heard, Sirus himself hits a pretty mean Bludger."

"Get back to work, Fabe," Molly chided, leading Lily to where she had previously been, behind the filing cabinets. "Stop reliving your school days."  
Fabian turned away and sat back at his desk in front of a large stack of parchment. Molly and Lily sat down against the wall of the other side of the cramped little office.

"He would have played Quidditch, both of my brothers, no matter what he says. But the Ministry caught him first, and they wouldn't have been able to play together – which is the only way they're any good. Mother was so relieved when she found out.

"It's probably better this way though. With everything going on, the professional teams are ready to break down, leaving who knows how many people without jobs.

"But you, Lily, how are _you_?"

Lily shrugged. "It could be worse. I've been living with the Potters all summer so it's just been me, Sirus, and James. Of course, Remus and Peter were here all month – they actually only left yesterday. So it's been nice."  
"Doesn't sound that much different than school."

"Less work."  
Molly laughed. "Of course. I didn't realize you were living with the Potters."

"I didn't realize that you were here."  
"Mother's annoyed that I haven't found a job yet, since I graduated and everything so I've been coming to work with my brothers. Mostly Fabian because Mr. Potter doesn't mind, but once in a while I have to go in with Gideon. It gets so depressing here, especially that more and more people are dying. All the names come through here, and Lily, Fabian wouldn't want me to tell you this, but there have been so many names that I know. Families of people I went to school with, some students who graduated before me. And it must be so hard on Fabe because he knew a lot of them personally."

There was a silence as Lily and Molly both reflected on the information that had just been given. The world outside their own thoughts sounded empty, not a foot disturbed the halls; the quiet was only broken by the soft scratch of Fabian's quill.

"Why are you here, Lily?"

Lily looked down at the parchment Harold had handed her an hour ago, as if searching for an answer.  
"I'm here to read Luke's will," she answered numbly, her voice flat and without emotion. "I realized that I never had. James said his father would be able to help me out, so…" She gestured half-heartedly to her surroundings. "I'm not sure when I get to see it, or even if I'm getting to see it at all. I don't know the terms of a Wizard Will."

"They'll let you see it, I'm sure." Molly smiled reassuringly. "Everyone saw Great Aunt Ruth's will when she died. They don't really keep the terms and allotments secret."

Lily didn't know exactly how to reply but just leaned her head back against the think walls and closed her eyes. For a minute, she was lost in thought, only pulled back by the question she dreaded most.

"Why have you been at the Potters'?" Molly asked.

Lily bit the inside of her lip and wasn't sure how to respond. Finally, she came up with an answer.

"They invited me." It wasn't a lie, even if it wasn't the whole truth. "And I had nowhere else better to go." That at least was the whole truth, even if it conveyed a different meaning that she sent to herself.

Molly was cut off front saying anything more by the return of Harold Potter. Lily glanced down at her watch and was shocked to find that two hours had passed.

"Thank you, Fabian," Harold was saying. He then turned to Lily who was making her way to the center of the office alongside Molly. "Do you still have those forms I have you?"

Lily pulled out three folded sheets of parchment and held them up. Harold had given them to her upon their entrance to the Ministry with strict orders not to let them out of her sight. That she had faithfully done.

"Alright then. They'll be waiting for us soon."

"Good-bye, Lily," Molly said regretfully.

"Bye, Molly. I'm sure I'll see you soon; England isn't that big."

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Lily Evans," Fabian said, grimly, as if this parting would be their only.

"The same, Fabian. I really hope I won't be back too soon."  
"For the sake of the Wizarding Community, we all wish the same."

Lily followed Harold out of the office without a backward glance. It felt as if, in those two hours, she had been tangled in a giant web of affairs, of which she could not see nor free herself from.

"Unfortunately, Lily," Harold was saying, "once you have the will, I cannot stay with you, but anytime you're finished, you can come back to my office. It's just at the end of the hall; I'm sure you remember the door."

Lily gave a faint laugh and proceeded to look nervously around. The doors were becoming more and more falsely cheery, and odd, muffled wails were coming from behind many of them. Harold led her to the very end of the corridor where a neon yellow door stood and knocked twice.

"Come in," came the muffled reply, and they did so. The door opened to reveal a tiny, balding wizard in black robes. He smiled sadly at them as they entered and motioned for them to sit down. The room was furnished very sparkly, there only being a few chairs and a desk in one corner, while all remaining space was taken up with what looked like the magical equivalent of filing cabinets.

"Good afternoon, Jones," Harold greeted the other man. "How has worked been?"

"I've had five readings already!" the other man, Jones, replied. "This department's getting busier and busier what with everything going on now a days."

"I'm sorry to be bringing one more to your office today."

"Not your fault at all. This one has been quite a while coming, Mr. Potter. Can I see your papers, Miss?"

Lily was startled at being addressed so suddenly, but she handed over the papers Harold had given her. Jones shuffled through them, scrutinizing some parts and ignoring others completely. Eventually, he stacked them neatly on his desk.

"Everything seems to be in order, Miss Evans," he said finally. He stood up, and the other two followed his lead. "If you will excuse us now, Mr. Potter…"

"Yes, of course, Jones. I'll be in my office whenever you're ready to come back, Lily." He hugged her quickly and departed.

"Please sit, Miss Evans," Jones told her. "I just have to bring the will out of storage."

He went over to a filing cabinet marked with a large E and tapped it twice. A drawer near the bottom opened and a roll of parchment showed itself. Jones took it and placed it on the desk before Lily.

"Here it is, the will of Mr. Luke W. Evans. I will be right here if you need me, if you have questions or such."

Lily wanted to thank him, but the words would not come. Instead, she wordlessly took the will and began reading.

It wasn't terribly complex, and Luke did not, in fact, have a lot to leave behind. Petunia got the flat and the furniture to do with as she wished. However, all of his money was to be transferred into Lily's account at Gringotts and she was specifically given his pictures. All other items were left hanging in the air for the two sisters to do with as they wished, Lily having fist dibs on anything magical and Petunia on anything Muggle.

Lily put the will back on the desk when she finished and looked up at the man. She felt hollow on the inside. It was truly over now; Luke was truly dead. The will was proof, and the feeling nearly overwhelmed her.

"You will want to collect what he left you." He could tell that Lily was dreading having to say those words. She was grateful for this insight and followed him to a door in the back of the office. Here, he tapped the door once with his want and said clearly, "Luke W. Evans."

The door opened, revealing another room which, Lily could tell at once, was filled with everything her brother had owned. She slipped in, in a dream-like state, wandering around his few possessions, touching everything, finally feeling at home.

"Everything he specifically wanted you to have is on that table in the corner. The gold has already been transferred into you account. You are free to take anything else, seeing as your sister has already been here."

"Thank you," Lily choked out. She was afraid she would cry if she said anything more, so she went over to the table the old wizard has indicated. On that table were two albums she knew were filled with moving pictures (she had nearly memorized them by now), and there were several other folders she didn't recognize. However, Luke meant for her to have them so she took them up.

"Put them in this bag," Jones said suddenly, materializing behind her. "Everything will shrink while in there and return to full size when you take it out."  
Lily took the bag he offered and placed the pictures carefully inside. As she was doing do, a folded piece of parchment fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and stowed it in a pocket. Now was no the time she wanted to relive Luke's memory.

She also found all of Luke's text books from school, his job manuals, and any novels he had and added them to her stash. Finally, she grabbed his cloak from school and Gryffindor scarf.

"What happens to everything else?" she asked when she reached Jones again.

"It stays here," he answered. "Your sister will be notified if she would like anything else, but otherwise, it stays in storage. Anytime, you may come back and retrieve more memories. Just be sure to make an appointment.

Lily nodded and looked around for a final time.

"Does this mean you are through?"

Lily nodded again and followed Jones out of the room. The door closes and sealed itself behind them.

"Thank you, Mr. Jones," Lily said hushed and walked toward the door leading back into the hall.

"I always wish that I could have had a different job," he replied. "Hopefully, I will not see you again soon, Miss Evans."

With that, she left the office to make her way to a bright green door she knew to be waiting.


	26. Dying Memories

Chapter 26: Dying Memories

Later that night, Lily found herself alone in the Potter's sitting room. June was working the late shift, Harold was in his office, and the two boys were in James' room planning something that Lily was sure she didn't want to know about. She was grateful for the time alone because she wanted to look at the memories Luke left her without anyone hovering over her.

The two photo albums were filled with family pictures that he had copied from their parents then charmed to move. Lily had seen these so many times in her house and Luke's flat that she just grazed over them. She saw memories of her and Petunia fighting with Luke pulling them back together, their parents beaming proudly at each other, three kids taking their first steps, snows, suns, and swimming pools… The memories came flooding back. Then there was Luke on his first day at Hogwarts, both Lily and Petunia holding onto him for dear life, not wanting to let him leave. Years later, there was the picture of Lily in her Hogwarts uniform, Luke being so proud to take that picture, Petunia scowling in the background.

Lily closes the last album with a sign and picked up the envelopes. Inside were pictures Lily had never seen from Luke's stays at Hogwarts. There were countless shots of the castle, the lake, the Great Hall, the Gryffindor Common Room, even from of his professors – McGonagall, Dumbledore, Slughorn, and a few Lily didn't recognize. Then came Luke and shots with his friends, Quidditch, studying, partying, relaxing, and even sleeping. There was even a picture from his seventh year where he had his arms around James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter.

She started to cry, just a single tear here and there escaped from her eyes and trickled down to quiver on the tip of her nose before falling noiselessly onto her lap. It was then she remembered the parchment.

Slowly, she removed the folded sheet from her pocket and carefully opened it. Luke's familiar handwriting washing over her, and she noted that it was addressed to her.

_Lily,_ it read

_If you're getting this, it means that I'm dead. I'm sorry, Bean, it was never my intention to die, but with my job, I guess it was inevitable. I changed my will a few weeks ago, now that Mum and Dad are dead. Petunia has custody over you now that she's 18 which is why I left her the flat. She'll be able to use it better than you will, and it'll be a familiar place for you when she takes you in. On the other hand, my whole fortune – if somewhat lowly – goes to you. Petunia can take care of herself; you need this._

_We found out about another raid soon, an attack, maybe even. It's said to take place near Hogwarts, and there is no way I will let any of them step near it while you're there. I saved Petunia, tried to protect Mum and Dad, and I will make sure to do everything I can so you won't share their fate. I'm willing to die for you, Lily._

_I always only wanted the very best for you, Bean. Let those boys take care of you. They're the very best of people, and I know they'd never hurt you. Regardless of what they believe, I've always trusted them completely._

_Remember, I love you, even though I'm gone. I've only wanted the best for you, and I know you'll go on to do great things._

_Luke_

The letter was dated a week before his death.

Lily then started to cry in earnest, tears flooding her face and soaking into the parchment. She curled herself into the tightest ball possible to ease the pain, and that was how James and Sirus found her.


	27. Sirus' Confession

**Overprotected**

Chapter 27: Sirus' Confession

James and Sirus had been planning pranks for when they got back to school. Being finished that, they decided to find Lily; she hadn't said a word to them after returning home with Mr. Potter, and dinner had been an unusually quiet affair.

"He's been in there all night," Sirus said gesturing to Harold's office as they descended the stairs. "I don't think he even came to dinner."

"He gets really worried when Mum takes the late shift," James replied. "He wishes she was anything but an Auror these days, with all of this business going on. She always tells him –"

James stopped himself short as the two of them entered the sitting room and saw Lily curled tightly on the couch. Both boys rushed over to her and immediately heard that she was crying.

James lifted her up by the shoulders, sad down on the couch, and settled her head in his lap. Tears began to soak his jeans right away. Sirus sat down on her other side and began rubbing her back comfortingly.

"What's wrong, Lily-Flower?" he asked. Lily just shook her head against James' legs and cried harder.

It was then that James looked down and saw the pictures on the floor. He gestured to Sirus who looked over, too and noticed the slip of parchment. He picked it up, quickly read it, then handed it, wide-eyed, to James who did the same.

"Okay, Flower, don't tell us what's wrong. We know it hurts to say. Just know that we'll be here for as long as you need us."

They were true to their words. Two hours later, when June Potter made her way through the front door, James and Sirus hadn't moved. Thankfully, Lily had. She was no longer curled up in a fetal position, but was now stretched out, head in James' lap, feet in Sirus', all traces of tears gone. Sirus patted her legs and got up as June walked by, following the older woman into the next room.

"Mum-P.," he started, "I really think it's time for me to find my own place."  
She didn't say anything at first, just took a step back and looked out the doorway to the two sitting on the couch.

"Look at them, Sirus," she said briefly, and he did. Lily's head was still on James' lap, eyes closed facing the ceiling. He was running one hand gently through her hair, watching, making sure she was content. The other was laying next to her face with her fingers laced through his.

"I know you don't like what you see, Sirus. But I also know that you know that they'll end up together someday. You know she's not ready yet, and I know you want to be there for both of them. What will happen if you move out this summer?" She stopped talking, and Sirus stayed silent. "I promise we'll help you look for a flat next summer, dear. Perhaps they'll be ready by then."

Sirus nodded slowly and went back into the other room, watching Lily and James the whole time.

"Sirus," Lily started as he made his way to the couch, "why are you so insistent on moving out?

The boy in question stopped dead and gave her an inquiring look.

"You've never told her about your family, Sirus," James clarified quietly.

"Blimey, Lily, I forgot you didn't know."

Now it was Lily's turn to look questioningly at her two friends. Sirus sat down on the couch by Lily's feet, and she immediately turned her body around to have her head nearer him. She looked up at him expectantly, nearly causing him to chuckle before he went on.

"How many Slytherins do you know, Lily-Flower?"

"Potions?"

"Well, that's where my dear parents think I belong." There was a very bitter edge to the words coming out of his mouth. Lily didn't say anything however, so Sirus continued. "I'm related to most of them – most pureblood families are in some way – but this is closer than most. Narcissa and Belletrix are my cousins, so soon that git Lucius Malfoy will be on my family tree and so will Rodolphus Lestrange or Theodor Knox or someone else like that. They're all 'good' purebloods. My family's into all of that blood junk. In their eyes, the Potters are bloodtraitors; I'm a bloodtraitor, ever since I was sorted into Gryffindor and liked it. I've been staying with the Potters as much as possible – that's actually why everyone comes over…" Sirus trailed off, as if unsure how to continue.

"I moved out completely when I turned fifteen – this past winter. Right, you were at Hogwarts when that whole thing took place. Lucky you weren't with us then; my dear mum tried to bring me back to that filth mansion. Let's just say that Mum- and Dad-P weren't about to let that happen." He gave a bitter chuckle, but Lily could tell it hurt deeply. "So I really feel like I've been abusing the privilege of staying here. Money's no problem; my parents started a trust for me when I was born that can't be revoke. Plus, Uncle Albert, he's taken a special liking to me and would help me out anyway. I'm pretty sure my mum has blasted him off the family tree already…"

"Blasted him off the family tree?" Lily asked, once more puzzled.

"We have a giant family tree in one of the unused rooms of Grimauld Place. Every time someone displeases my mum, she blasts their name off the tree. I'm sure she thoroughly enjoyed seeing me burn; there's a larger singe mark where my face used to be than for anyone else."

"You were there?"

"Of course. We had a giant row and then I was gone. It's her way of letting people know they're no longer part of the family."

"You seem awfully happy about that."

"The sooner I got out of there the better, Lily," he said as he rose and began to exit the room. However, the bitter tone had come back. "You have no clue."

"Don't believe him," James told Lily once Sirus was out of sight. "It's a very sore subject. I mean, he doesn't just go spreading it around school. Regulus, that's Sirus' brother, and their parents absolutely adore him. He's everything that Sirus wasn't, the way Sirus tells it. I'd be bitter, too, if my parents never found me good enough or wouldn't accept me for who I am."

"It seems like all the Marauders have something to hide," Lily muttered to herself, but James had heard her.

"And what's your secret, Flower?"

"I'm not a Marauder, James. Remember, you won't let me be part of that." She paused. "What's yours?"

"That I'm totally and completely in love with you."

"That can't be your secret; the whole school knows." Her tone was light, but what James didn't hear was the fear racing through her mind. "No. I have to go now."

She got off of the couch and walked away, her head held high as if nothing was wrong, but as soon as she was out of James' sight, she dashed out of the house and towards the forest.

From the second floor, Sirus saw a slight figure dart towards the trees on the edge of the Potters' property. It didn't take him long to be down the stairs and out the door without James seeing him, and he made a beeline for where he had seen Lily heading.

She hadn't gone into the forest at all but was turned away from him, sitting with her back against a tree. She must not have heard him coming because she jumped as his arms when around her and tried to pull away.

"No, I don't –"

"Lily, it's me," he cut her off.

"Oh, Sirus," she replied, calmer and stopped trying to get away. "I thought you were…"

Sirus waited for her to finish her statement, but she never did.

"You thought I was James."

She nodded briefly, and he was contented to see, as her head moved in the moonlight, that she had not been crying. They sat in silence like that for countless moments just taking in the night sounds. In the distance, an owl hooted, and the crickets were singing their usual summer song. Sirus was trying to comfort Lily while waiting for her to tell him what caused her flight; Lily was relishing the fact that he, for once, didn't ask any questions. However, that did not last long. As Sirus began to realize Lily wasn't offering any information on her own, he began to inquire.

"Why?"

She didn't respond and just sat there in an attempt to pretend she hadn't heard.

"Why?" he asked again. "Why did you run away this time? What did James do?"

Lily kept looking straight ahead. She couldn't look at Sirus because if she did, she might break, and she wasn't ready to break yet. Instead she took silence as her key, even though she knew Sirus would have it out of her eventually.

"Lily?"

"He said he loved me." It sounded hollow. "That was his secret. Every Marauder has a secret."

"How can it be a secret? The whole school knows!"

"I know; that's what I told him, and I left. I'm not ready, Sirus." Her voice wasn't hollow anymore; it was filling with emotion that was threatening to overflow. "I heard Mrs. Potter. Everyone thinks we're meant for each other. I – I can't."

"Nothing says you have to be ready now, Lily-Flower. He's been waiting for years; it won't kill him to wait a few more. And no one wants that now. He's my best mate, but I'd probably rip him to pieces if anything started to happen now. I can see it though, Lily. We all noticed when you two danced and how he held you when he found out you were Animagus…"

"Luke said that he trusted you; he always has."

"I know. He was a great person. Definitely had his priorities in order."

They sat in silence once more. Lily had already cried all of her tears for her brother, and Sirus was waiting for her to speak first.

"When are we going to Diagon Alley?" she finally asked.

"Whenever our letters come," Sirus replied. "James owled Remus and Peter the other day to tell them to floo over the day after they get their letters, and we'll all go together. Remus owled back right away, but we still haven't heard from Peter. I guess he's still in Spain." There was a pause before he spoke again. "What do you say we head in? It's getting late. Mum- and Dad-P will worry."

Lily nodded and began to stand up. She was glad he hadn't mentioned James.

They walked back to the house slowly, Lily stopping every once-in-a-while to note some sound or smell the warm summer air. It was a beautiful night.

About halfway back to the house, Sirus spoke up once more.

"So every Marauder has a secret, you say." Lily tensed up; she knew what was coming. "What do you think Peter's is?"

Lily breathed a sigh or relief. She had been so sure that Sirus was going to ask what her secret was, and she didn't feel quite right giving it to them yet.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "He almost never talks about his family, and I've never heard him mention a father once. It's a secret for a reason."

Maybe that would keep them out of her business.


	28. Into a Wall

**Overprotected**

Chapter 28: Into a Wall

Their Hogwarts letters came soon enough, and true to his word, Remus showed up early the next day. No one had heard from Peter since he had left the Potters', causing all of them to worry. They waited around for about an hour thinking that maybe he was just a little late, but the hour passed and still no Peter.

"Use the animals," Remus suggested finally.

"Right. I forgot!" Sirus exclaimed. "That's why you're the smart one."

James found the rat that was tucked safely in his pocked and held it close to his mouth.

"Peter," he called. Nothing happened. No voice answered back. "Peter." The scene of a bedroom suddenly showed itself in front of James but still no Peter.

"He must still be on holiday," Lily voiced.

"Without these," James put in, somewhat annoyed.

"He probably thought you'd be bugging him all summer, James," Remus laughed. "I don't blame him."

"Come on, James. We can't wait around all day for him. Lily'll leave without us soon; you know how she is with these things." Sirus' last comment was light, but it was obvious that he wanted to leave soon too.

"But I wrote to him about this. He knew we were going. Peter always comes."

"James, Peter can't make his parents change their vacation plans," Remus put in calmly, always the one for logic. "He wouldn't want you to sit here and worry about him."

"Alright." James walked into the kitchen where the other three could hear him saying good-bye to June Potter, and then he reappeared in front of them. "Let's go." He led them over to the fireplace, where they each took a handful of green floo powder, and in two words, they were gone.

Seconds later, they all arrived in Diagon Alley, tumbling out one after another. Their first stop was Gringotts where Lily was able to dig into her new savings, meager though they were. Then they began to shop. Around one, they gave their sore arms a rest and put their purchased items down to have lunch. Remus was having an animated conversation with the shop's owner about wizarding politics, while Lily was talking to James and Sirus about where they still had to go.

"I think our only stop left is Florish and Blotts for all of our books," she was saying. "Although, I could always use more parchment, and there's a better shop for that down the street a little farther."

"And we need to stop at Quality Qudditch Supplies, Lils," James reminded her excitedly. "I heard they were getting a new broom either today or tomorrow. I'll have to talk to Mum; my birthday's coming up."

"Your birthday's not until November, James," Sirus was quick to remind his friend.

"Yeah, but it's before Quidditch matches start."  
Lily was tempted to laugh; he was so earnest and so childish at the same time. Butterflies came to her stomach, but she was saved from doing anything by Remus who suddenly engaged her in a conversation. By and by, the four were finished, and they headed back onto the streets to make their way to the bookshop.

Needing all of the same books, James, Sirus, Remus, and Lily were able to split their list up so that they had all of the books they needed within ten minutes. However, Lily was lingering in between shelves, picking out books, and browsing them for interest. James and Sirus were edging slowly toward the door, and even Remus, the avid reader, was enticed by the thought of a new broom.

"Are you almost done?" Sirus whined for what must have been the thousandth time.

"Sirus, if you guys are so anxious to go, then go. I'm fine here. You can get in touch with me if you need to."

Sirus looked ecstatic, and James looked ready to protest. Remus saw this and intervened before the latter said something stupid. He pulled James aside, out of Lily's view, and gave James what he was looking for.

"James," Remus began, "go with Sirus. I'm not done looking around yet either. I'll stay here with Lily, and we'll meet up with you later."

"Thanks, mate."

With that, James ran off to find Sirus, and they quickly left the shop, practically sprinting down toward the Quidditch store. Seconds after James and Sirus were gone, Lily came up behind Remus from the middle of some bookshelf. He almost jumped when he heard her voice.

"I know that you want to go with them, Remus," she said very calmly. "The only reason you're still here is because you know they want to go and I want to stay, and none of us will have peace until they get what they want. And they won't leave me here alone."

Remus had regained his composure during her little speech. "You know I read just as much as you do, Lils. Why wouldn't I want to stay?"  
"Because we've been here for over an hour, and your heart also lies in the clouds." She laughed, and it was a very pleasant sound to hear. "Go with them. I'll catch up in a few minutes. The Quidditch shop is only two stores down; what can happen?"

Remus looked hesitant. Every word she had said was true, but he could already imagine the look of fury on James' face when he told he had left Lily alone.

Lily could sense his hesitation, and she placed her hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Tell James I can take care of myself in a bookstore. I'm not afraid of paper cuts."  
Remus chuckled softly, and hugged his young friend.

"I'll be sure to do that. Make sure you meet us in fifteen minutes. I don't think he'll last much longer than that."  
"Of course, Remus."

She watched him leave the store then went back to the shelf she had been perusing. Only when she found the book she was looking for did she remember that Luke's collection held the title, and it was impractical for her to buy a second copy. So taking her stack of books, she went to find a cashier and paid. If she hurried, she could catch up to James and Sirus before they had too much of a chance to scold Remus.

Florish and Blotts opened into and alley, and when Lily exited, she found a blond-haired man waiting outside of the store. He was so cloaked in shadows that she might have missed him had he not taken a step to block her path. She then recognized him immediately.

"Malfoy." Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she spit out the name.

"Evans." He played the word over in his mouth. "Not a surprise at all, seeing you emerge from a bookstore. But – now this is a surprise – the mudblood doesn't have her protectors around. Wouldn't that fool Dumbledore like to know that his precious pet is going around unguarded."

Lucius Malfoy took a step towards her, but Lily refused to back down.

"Dumbledore's not a fool, and I don't need anyone's permission to go out of my house."  
"Cheeky, are we. Although, last I saw, you didn't have parents, you didn't have a brother, you didn't have a home." The words came out cruelly, mockingly, and they had the intended effect on Lily. She took a threatening stop forward and went to pull her want out of her robes, but Malfoy stunned her before she could come anywhere close.

"I'm not afraid of you," she got out through clenched teeth as her body wreathed in agony – not that she would let it show; she refused to give _that_ satisfaction.

"You will be soon," he said as he shot another curse her way. As with the first one, she was hit full on and nearly crumpled to the ground. In seconds however, she was up and ready to present a challenge.

"Why are you _here_, bothering with me? Don't you have more important people to abuse?"

"Is the mudblood getting frightened?" he taunted.

"Hardly," she replied and found herself once more with her face in the dirt. Again, Lily picked herself up, but with more difficulty and more effort. She was having trouble breathing, and blood was starting to trickle down her body from the gash in her forehead and numerous cuts on her arms and legs. "I'm just curious as to why a _mudblood_ demands so much personal attention."

"The Dark Lord will kill all mudbloods and bloodtraitors; I'm just helping him along. All of us are."

"You're all scared. You Death Eaters and your Lord Voldemort." She spit the names out with obvious contempt. "You think we're weak so you feel justified in exterminating us. You're all cowards!"

"Enough!" Malfoy exclaimed, and he pointed his want at Lily, sending her flying into the brick of Florish and Blotts. James, Sirus, and Remus ran into the alley just in time to see Lily crumple into a heap at the base of the wall and to see Malfoy leering over her.

"What is the commotion here?" A young manager of the store had stuck his head out into the alley. He saw the three boys looking ready to kill, and then his eyes fell upon Lucius. He seemed to jump as he recognized the man. "Terribly sorry, Master Malfoy. I hope these boys aren't troubling you."  
"I've got the situation under control," Lucius Malfoy replied. "I require no assistance."

The manager went back inside, and Malfoy turned back over his fallen prey.

"What have you done to her?" James demanded.

"No more than she deserved, I assure you. No more than all mudbloods and bloodtraitors deserve."

James pulled out his wand threateningly. Malfoy laughed and turned away.

"That will get you in trouble one of these days, Potter. I can only hope I will be there to see it."

With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared, cloak billowing in his wake.

The spell was at once broken and all three boys rushed over to Lily. She was conscious but seemed to be having trouble focusing. James attempted to help her off the ground then pick her up, but she managed to work her way out of his grasp.

"I'm okay, James," she told him but nearly collapsed again after trying to take a step. Luckily, Sirus caught her.

"Lily, you were just thrown into a brick wall," he was slowly, calmly saying to her while making sure she couldn't escape from him. "You're not okay."

"You guys should take her home," Remus put in, looking worriedly from James to Lily to Sirus. "Your mum will know what to do, James."

"Thank Merlin it's her day off," Sirus replied.

June Potter took only one look at Lily when the two boys brought her home.

"We're going to St. Mungo's," she declared and did not ask any questions.

Harold Potter leapt out of his chair as he heard the fire crackle in the next room. June walked into the kitchen, and he was barely able to contain himself long enough to let his wife put her bag down and turn to him. He immediately embraced her and held her, trying to make sense of all the fear he felt. Finally, they broke apart, and she looked up at him questioningly.

"Harold, what is this for?"

"Do you know how worried I've been, June?"

"Worried about what?" she asked as she sat down. He followed her into another chair but found himself unable to stay seated.

"'Gone to St. Mungo's.' That was the only note you left me. Why shouldn't I worry? I come home to an empty house and an ominous note. Anything could have happened, June. And I didn't know."

June signed. "Harold," she started, sounding tired and out of answers, "I'm not really sure what happened either. The three of them met Remus and were in Diagon Alley for the day, getting their school supplied. The next thing I know, James and Sirus are practically carrying Lily into the house. She was collapsing every time she took a step, had a nasty-looking gash on her forehead, was bleeding all down her arms and legs… I had no choice; there wasn't time to explain any more.

"So we went to the hospital. I would have left the boys at home, but it would have been impossible. You know as well as I do that they would never leave her like that. So they came along, and sat there in silence the whole time as she was checked in and examined. They healed her, said there's no lasting damage; she'll be fine.

"But they still won't talk. I still don't know what happened to her."  
It was at that moment that James walked into the kitchen. He had been standing by the door in the other room, listening to his parents' every word, while Lily was curled on the couch next to Sirus. For a few seconds, he stood in silence before his parents.

"It was Lucius Malfoy," he said. "He was throwing her into a brick wall when Sirus, Remus, and I got there. He said that she got only what muggle borns and bloodtraitors deserve."  
"That's not all, though, is it?" his mum asked.

"No. It doesn't explain everything. He must have cursed her, but she won't say."  
Harold slumped into a chair and leaned back, closing his eyes. June stood up and embraced her only son tightly. When she let him go, James looked over at his father.

"Then there's nothing we can do."  
"I'm sorry, James," his father replied.

"I can put something in at the Ministry tomorrow, but the Malfoys are very elusive creatures." June seemed to search for every word she spoke. "A few of us have been trying to get them for _something_ for years now, but they have slipped through our fingers every time."

"His final year was our third, and he made sure that none of us had a doubt that he was 'superior'."

"Every Malfoy is like that, James. Unfortunately. I know you're aware of what's going on in the world right now. It's not hard to guess what side they're on."

"It's just so frustrating not being able to do anything!"

"You can keep your head up. Remember where you came from, and be proud. Don't let any of them get you down. And never forget your friends; there's power in what you have, anyone can see."


	29. Back to School

**Overprotected**

Chapter 29: Back to School

"Is that Lily Evans I see?" a voice asked.

It was September first, and James, Sirus, Remus, Peter, and Lily were already aboard the Hogwarts Express which was already taking them back to school.

"And is that Lily Evans _smiling_?" the same voice asked.

"Cassie, love." Sirus had jumped up as soon as Cassie hand entered the compartment and rushed over to embrace her.

"What are you so excited about, Sirus?" she laughed. "We're headed back to school."

"Anything other than them," Sirus muttered so only Cassie could hear. She laughed. He was motioning coyly to where Lily and James were sitting with James wrapping his arms quite comfortably around Lily why she laid back contently.

"I'll be able to make you happy," Cassie muttered back. "Don't worry, I'll get them apart."

She took a step away from Sirus and turned toward Remus and Peter.

"So how were holidays, boys?"

The two in question answered in the positive, Peter adding a brief summary of Spain. Then Cassie turned back to Lily and James.

"Hello, Lily. It's nice to see you after not having heard from you all summer. Even after you _promised_ to write. But I can see why now: you were too wrapped up in this one."

Lily blushed. "I was not," she replied sheepishly but without her usual tone. The boys noticed immediately.

"Sure, sure. If you say so… But then why won't you even get up to say hello to the friend you promised to write to…" There was a pause in Cassie's speech as she glanced over to Lily who looked as if she was debating with herself. "But you know, _Flower_, things like this are known to travel pretty quickly through school… or train…"

"Alright!" In an instant, Lily had thrown James' arms off of her and had leapt out of the seat to face Cassie. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I meant to write, but these two," she gestured to James and Sirus, "took up all of my free time."

"Took up your free time?" Cassie had a giant grin on her face, and Lily was starting to look panicked. "I don't know, Lily…" She trailed off, a friendly threat. Lily started to back away, and Cassie dropped the act. "Oh, come here." She embraced the younger girl. "You must know I would never do that to you." She had Lily sit down next to her, across from James and Sirus, who had just also taken a seat. "But I do want to know why you saw so much of James and Sirus."

"They're my friends," Lily answered defensively.

James and Sirus looked at each other. "My parents took her in for the summer."

"The whole summer?"

James nodded.

Cassie turned back to Lily. "Why the whole summer? Don't you need to go home?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Lily replied, suddenly very interested in the game of chess Remus and Peter were involved in.

"Oh, Lily. I'm sorry, your parents…" Cassie trailed off, but Lily just shook her head and would not look away from the game. Cassie tried quickly to change the subject.

"So what happened over this time when you were with Sirus _and James_ for a whole summer?" Cassie drew the words out slowly, watching in amusement as Lily blushed as deep as her hair. The younger girl quickly buried her face in her arms and began to mumble incoherently.

"What's that, Lily? I can't hear you, and the silence just adds to the fact. I'm deathly curious: What did happen at the Potters'?"

"Nothing!" Lily cried out then pressed herself as close as she could next to the window. James sprung up to try to comfort the red-head.

"Well, it's been a pleasure," Cassie started as she stood, "but there really are more people I have to find."

Sirus, Remus, and Peter bid her good-bye as she began to depart; however, she stopped briefly next to Sirus.

"She won't touch him for a week," Cassie mutter so only Sirus could hear then made her way completely out of the compartment.

At least for the moment, Cassie's words seemed to be true. James was desperately trying to put his arms around Lily while she was doing everything in her power to prevent him.

Sirus leaned back contently. He was sure that Lily could hold James back a little longer still.

The Welcome Back Feast that night concluded as Albus Dumbledore stood up once more to address the students. The Great Hall silenced immediately as he raised his arms.

"Now that we have all been comfortably filled – I hope – I would ask that the Prefects lead the younger students to their dormitories. You should have received the passwords on the train." Benches began to scrape against the floor as students left the tables, anxious to be home again. "If I could also see James Potter and Lily Evans in my office before they leave. Good night."

Sirus and Peter looked over in question at the two the Head Master had just summoned. Remus had gotten up quickly and was following a group of young students out of the Great Hall.

"What do you think this is for?" Peter asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Pete," James replied.

Sirus watched Remus' retreating figure. "Isn't he interested in any of this?"

"He's a Prefect; he'll be leading the first years to the Tower," Lily answered.

Professor Dumbledore glanced over to the four sixth years still at the Gryffindor table, caught Lily's eye, and smiled. He then turned and left the Great Hall.

"Dumbledore wants us, James," Lily started. "He just left."

James turned his head in time to see the Head Master's retreating figure exit the double-door entrance to the Hall. "Alright. Let's go.  
The four also began to make their leave, as Sirus asked, "Do you want us to wait for you?"

"We'll be okay," Lily replied. "Why don't you go find Remus."

Sirus and Peter agreed to the plan, and they split from Lily and James who made their way to the Headmaster's office. They stopped in front of the stone gargoyle and turned to each other simultaneously.

"Do you know the password?" James asked Lily.

"I know what is was last year, at the end of the year," Lily replied, "but he's probably changed it by now."

James looked confused. "How often were you down here last year, and why?"

"It seems a good thing that I took a turn before coming to my office," a new voice said from behind the students, and Lily was saved from answering. Both turned to see Professor Dumbledore making his way down the corridor towards them. "Would I be correct in saying that neither of you know the password?

James and Lily looked sheepishly toward each other then back at the Headmaster.

"Unless it's the same as last year, Professor," Lily replied, "we're at a loss, and it seems illogical the keep the same password for that period of time."

"You are a very bright young lady, Miss Evans. I believe, you may recall, that this particular guardian changes his password every two weeks."

Lily blushed and avoided James' questioning stare while Professor Dumbledore gave the password. The three entered the passage the gargoyle had created and eventually found themselves in the Headmaster's office.

"Please, take a seat." Dumbledore gestured to two chairs as he seated himself behind his desk. "I am sure you two are curious as to why you are here, so I will get right to the point. Mr. Potter, through the decision of this staff – and especially the recommendation of the Head of your House – you have been made a Prefect."

Lily's face immediately went blank as she continued to stare at the Headmaster, her eyebrows slightly furrowed in the center; James was openly in shock, his jaw hanging open. However, Dumbledore took no notice and continued to speak.

"As I am sure you well understand, this is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. Your Professors have marked you out for this recognition, and thus, it is not to be abused. However, I am quite confident in your abilities, and I am certain that Miss Evans will help you in any way possible."  
This seemed to snap Lily out of her trance as Dumbledore turned his piercing blue eyes on her.

"Of course, Professor," she replied quickly but added a timid question of her own. "But, Sir…why? What about Remus?"

"Mr. Lupin has resigned from the position. He did not give any reasons, just owled back his badge over the summer. There was an opening and Professor McGonagall thought James the best candidate. I must say that I agree." He smiled at the students who had managed to pull themselves somewhat back together. "Any questions?"

Neither Lily nor James asked any, and they immediately headed back to the Gryffindor Tower after bidding the Headmaster a good night. They walked in silence nearly the whole way: Lily staring straight ahead, James glancing occasionally at Lily as if waiting for her to speak. He finally took the initiative.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked, watching her.

Lily didn't look over. "It's not that I'm upset that you're a Prefect, James. It's just…" She fumbled around for the right word. "…different than what I expected.

James waited for her to say more, to clarify, but she remained silent. They continued their walk back to the Tower like that and eventually reached their destination. Lily gave the Fat Lady the password she had received on the train, and the two of them entered their Common Room. In their usual spot in front of the fire Sirus and Peter were seated, playing Exploding Snap while waiting for James and Lily to return. Remus wasn't with them though, and Lily quickly scanned the room for him. What she found nearly made her heart tear out of her chest. He was standing in front of one of the great windows, gazing up at the moon. It was almost impossible to tell that he was still living expect for the fact that he kept licking his lips every so often; otherwise, he was completely unmoving, and Lily immediately left James' side to be with her hurting friend.

He didn't look over when she came to stand beside him, and if she didn't know better, she would have said that he didn't even realize that she was there. However, she had known Remus long enough to know his habits and characteristics; she would have to speak first. Knowing this, she stayed silent for a little longer, gathering her thoughts, finding what to say.

"Why, Remus?" she started out simply, turning towards him in time to see him wet his lips again.

Remus didn't reply right away, just ran a hand through his sandy chopped hair – a habit he had picked up from James. "I just couldn't do it again, Lily. When they sent the badge to me again over the summer with my letter, I just knew I couldn't."

"But you were a fine Prefect, Remus." Her voice was calm and small. She was looking up at him, not sure what he would do next.

"No, I wasn't, Lily, and you know it!" The words came out forcefully, but Lily didn't move. "Don't pretend any differently. I let them get away with so much that I should have stopped."

"Because James will be any better!" Lily burst out before she could stop herself. Remus finally turned to her, and his stare pierced her soul.

"Don't protest," he commanded, but his voice then took a softer tone. "I can't stand to disappoint you. After all you've done for me, I can't just repay you like that." He turned away again. "But you wouldn't understand that."

Lily had no reply. After all, she did understand disappointment: parents she could never be good enough for to earn their time, a sister she could never be good enough for to earn her love. Still, she made no mention of the fact, and Remus began to walk away.

"I'm going to bed."

"Good night, Rem," she called softly after him. If he heard, he gave no signal, just slammed the door to his dormitory.

Suddenly, she felt tired, drained of energy, and leaned her faced against the window in front of her. The filling moonlight shone through the window, and she knew what would consume them all in a few short weeks. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps come up behind her, only felt someone attempt to wrap his arms around her.

"Are you okay?" James asked, concerned. His words seemed to break the numbing box she had wrapped herself in.

"No," she replied quickly and escaped from his grasp before he realized what had happened. Tears threatened to leak out of her eyes as she fled to her room, traveling the exact same path Remus had only minutes before. Once safely in her room, Lily leaned back against the door, slid down to the floor, and cried.


	30. Duty

**Overprotected**

Chapter 30: Duty

Lily debated with herself about going down to breakfast the next morning. She was sore from spending the night on the floor and not completely ready to face any of the four boys yet. However, she knew if she skipped Remus would too, and that would cause tension, not a positive way for the year to begin. So she got up to get herself ready and put on her best face. Not wanting to face anyone quite yet, she sat on her bead listening to the sound of the boys clumsily getting ready and the sound of their muffled voices.

On the other side of the door, Remus was oddly quiet for the first day back to classes. He couldn't get the conversation of the night before out of his head. The three other boys noticed the difference right away, but they didn't question him. Combined with what James had told them the other night about how Lily had acted, they thought it wise to let the matter rest. However, something else was still on James' mind, and he decided to breach the subject.

"When we were at Dumbledore's office last night, Lily seemed so uncomfortable every time he mentioned that she should know something about the way his passwords worked. She wouldn't say anything."

Peter looked up from where he was putting on a sock, and Sirus stuck his head out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand, to shrug. Remus, however, turned away from the window and towards James.

"Do you remember all the meetings she had with McGonagall after Luke's death?" he asked.

"She said they were for Prefect duties," Peter put in, and James looked confused.

"Oh, right," Remus said more to himself than to anyone in the room. "You two were fighting them, she wouldn't have told you. Well, Lily met with McGonagall a lot for the rest of the year, and she claimed, as Peter said, that they were about Prefect duties. They weren't. I ran into her once after one, and she was a wreck – not in the way that any of the Professors would be able to tell, but you know what I mean. She broke down and told me the truth. The Professors had gotten worried about how she looked after her brother died especially and decided to have her talk to McGonagall, thinking it would do some good. I actually think that made it so much harder for her, having to keep that front just that much longer. Well, McGonagall noticed it wasn't helping at all and sent her to talk to Dumbledore. Obviously that didn't do much either."

During Remus' story, Sirus had finished brushing his teeth and was now putting on his robes. Remus turned and addressed him directly. "I think that's why she had so much trouble sleeping during OWLs, Sirus. Not only did she have all of that pressure on her, but the Professors weren't making it any easier."

They finished getting ready in silence and proceeded to wait for Lily. Eventually, Sirus went over to her door and knocked a few times.

"Lily?" he asked. There was no response. "I know you're going to go back to your old habits soon enough, but you could at least come down to breakfast today." Still nothing.

"Lily, it's your duty to be down for breakfast this morning."

The door immediately opened, and Lily looked past Sirus to address Remus.

"Don't talk to me about duty, Remus Lupin." She then swept past them all out of the dormitory, leaving them to follow quickly in her wake.

However downcast the morning had begun, the five friends tried to push it away to start the year out right. James and Sirus started to talk about Gryffindor's Quidditch hopefuls in between mouthfuls of eggs, Peter joining in occasionally when they forgot names. Professor McGonagall came around to hand out schedules, and Lily swallowed the morning's bitterness and engaged Remus in a conversation about classes for the year.

"I'm sorry, Rem," she said unexpectedly when there was a lull in the conversation between them. He turned slowly toward her, but she wasn't looking at him, only down at the piece of toast she still hadn't eaten. "I shouldn't have snapped at you this morning."

"Lils, don't –"

"No, no, I have to. I'm just so confused, Remus. This whole summer seems just like a dream; I don't know if it actually happened. And I still can't decide whether I would rather have just been alone all summer."

"You would have killed yourself if you have been alone all summer."

Lily glanced up at him then when back to staring at her toast. "I just thought that Hogwarts would still be the same. You're not a Prefect, James is, we have Potions first thing Friday morning… We never have Potions first on Friday!" He could hear the desperation and hysteria in her voice already.

"Lily, look at me." She did so, almost hesitantly. "James will be a fine Prefect. He won't slip up, if only to keep you happy. Before last year, we had never had Potions right before lunch on Wednesday, and you got used to that. And I will always be here for you, no matter what. You can come to me anywhere, anytime, about anything; you know that, Lils."

Lily went back to picking at, but not eating, her toast. She knew Remus was right; it was all so surreal though. Sitting at this table, eating this breakfast, she couldn't help remembering the same day a year ago. Reflecting, her life seemed so much simpler then.

Remus broke back through her thoughts. "Did you sleep last night, Lils?"

Lily looked up at him, the answer evident in her eyes.

"Merlin, Lily, already? Will this ever get better?"

"When life gets better." It was a statement, but it sounded like Lily wasn't sure herself if the fact was true.

"What was it this time?"  
However, Lily was saved from answering Remus' question because at that moment, Sirus looked at his schedule for the first time that morning.

"Potions first!" he exclaimed. "With the Slytherins."

"Sirus," Peter started slowly, between bouts of laughter, "we _always_ have Potions with the Slytherins."

"I don't have a good feeling about this, Pete."

"Are you done, Flower?" James asked Lily, whom he was sitting across from. She nodded and pushed her plate toward him. He took the toast and made motions to stand up. "Come on, guys. Let's get this over with."

Sirus groaned but stood and the rest followed suite. On the way out of the Great Hall, Sirus nearly walked head on into his brother, Regulus Black.

"Watch where you're going, runt," the elder Black snapped.

"Oh, are we still Mr. High-and-Mighty?" Regulus replied with a sarcastic air. "I would have thought that getting kicked out of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black would have taken you down a notch or two."

"There is nothing noble about that witch's house – though I will admit, it's quite ancient. I have never made a better choice than to leave that horrible place!"

"You'll regret it someday, when the world has changed, you'll wish you had not betrayed your blood."

"No, Regulus, someday _you'll_ regret letting that awful woman control your whole life."

"Don't talk that way about our Mother!"

Regulus lunged at Sirus who quickly blocked his brother's attack and pushed him back into the stone wall of the Entrance Hall.

"She's not my mother, never was, never will be," Sirus replied, furiously and stormed off down the corridor in the direction of the dungeons. The other four followed in his wake: James, Remus, and Peter shooting worried glances at each other, Lily watching Sirus with a newfound emotion in her eyes. Once in the dungeons, Sirus slumped down in a chair, and the others squeezed around the table to be with him. Lily was still watching him, and feeling her stare, he turned to face her.

"Sweet Merlin, Lily, I'm sorry. I – I…" He wasn't sure what to say next. He saw the hurt in her eyes and misinterpreted it. "Forget it. It's – it's not that bad."

"Sirus, tell the truth about your family for once!" James exclaimed. "You're brother's cruel, he lives to torment you. That is one of the main reasons you left Grimauld Place, to get away from him. Let it out! This is why school is awful for all of us, because we face all of these things everyday and bottle up all of our emotions! This is why we all nearly kill ourselves each year!"

"James, the world isn't much different than this," Remus said calmly. "Better we learn to deal with it here than when we could get killed for not being able to handle it."

Horace Slughorn chose that moment to enter his classroom. He stood at the front for a moment, taking in all of the faces around him. Slowly, he allowed a smile to cross his features, and he spread his arms to embrace the whole room.

"Welcome, welcome to another year of Potions. I'm so glad to see that a good number of you have decided to continue with this fine art. It truly is heartening to see so many brilliant minds interested in the N.E.W.T. Level Advanced Potions. I see you have all seated yourselves quite comfortably, however, I'm going to have to ask you to stand. This year, we'll be pairing off, and I have picked your partners."

Chairs immediately began to shift as students stood up to file alone one wall. Professor Slughorn picked up a piece of parchment from on top of his desk and began to rattle off names. James was paired with one of the more mild Slytherins, somehow Sirus and Remus were put together, and Peter's partner was the lone Ravenclaw in the room.

"Oh, yes. Last, but certainly not least, Miss Evans and Mr. Snape."

The student body began to move again as people paired off and went to stake their claim at one of the outlined areas.

"Your potion for the day is on the board," Professor Slughorn called while the students were still settling in. "It shouldn't be too difficult for the first day back."

Lily met up with Severus half way across the room and they grabbed the closest available space.

"Lily, shall we start?" he asked, not quite mockingly but not as pleasantly as the words implied.

"Snape," she said dully, without looking in his direction, "let's just get this over with."

James and his partner had taken a seat behind Lily and Severus, and Lily knew that James' eyes would be boring holes into the back of her partner's head. If Snape could ignore that, anything was possible. Still, it would be a long year with this to go through.

Across the room, Remus had just grabbed a knife out of Sirus' hand.

"Will you pay attention, Sirus!" Remus exclaimed in exasperation. "You can't cut up the pods like that. I know you don't like Potions, but usually your head is more attached than this! It's the third thing in the past five minutes!"

Remus then glanced over in the direction Sirus was glaring. Not at all to his surprise, Severus Snape was the target of his glower.

"If he touches her, I'm going to kill him," Sirus threatened.

"And then you'll get expelled and spend the rest of your days in Azkaban," Remus replied, much more calmly than he felt. Normally, working with Sirus was fine, but if this was how the whole year was going to turn out, he'd almost rather be paired off with Snape.

"He better not try anything."

"Sirus. James is sitting right behind them. If Snape so much as breathes in her direction, he'll be on top of him."

Sirus let the matter slide and began to focus more on the task directly in front of him, but his mood didn't lighten any. The room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when the bell rang, signaling the students to leave the dungeons. James and Sirus stormed ahead of the other three who just trailed meekly in their wakes to Transfiguration.


	31. Silver

**Overprotected**

Chapter 31: Silver

A few weeks later, the five found themselves in the dungeons once more. Further classes had not eased the tension at all that ensued when the few Gryffindors and Slytherins were in that close proximity. If anything, it had worsened, and Professor Slughorn had threatened countless times to send them to the Headmaster's office. It wasn't that full-blown fights had broken out, but a quip here and a snide comment there had caused tempers to flare on more than one occasion. The Potions Master had been forced to give more than one detention on account of wands managing to "misfire" once outside of his classroom. Throughout her dealings with Snape, Lily had managed to hold her temper so far.

However, this particular day had turned out to be quite trying. She had gotten even less sleep than usual that past night after spending all evening sitting against her door so James and Sirus wouldn't be able to come in and force her to bed; Remus had yelled at her for being so stupid at breakfast – not eating and the like – more forcefully than normal (the full moon was soon approaching); and Sirus had had another run in with his brother, this one resulting in a detention for the both of them.

"Sirus!" Remus exclaimed in distress. Their potion that was supposed to have the consistency of pure water was slowly thickening. "Did you add the juniper leaves?"

Sirus didn't answer; something else was holding his attention. Remus looked over in time to see Severus Snape grab a knife away from Lily and forcefully shove another one into her hands.

"Sirus, our potion is over _here_!" Remus tried again with the same level of success. Sirus just growled darkly, and Remus glanced over at the pair on the other side of the room. Lily had just slammed her knife down on the tabletop and threw her arms up in the air.

"You are not the only one who knows anything about brewing a potion, Snape," she exclaimed in exasperation. The sudden movement put her within a dangerous proximity to their potion.

"You've nearly killed us twice today, Evans," Snape leered.

"Are you sure? I knew what I was doing." She attempted to start stirring the brew.

Snape roughly pushed her away. "Leave it. It doesn't need _your_ filth contaminating it further."

"Don't touch her." James had gotten up from his work to get between Snape and Lily; this forced her back and almost into the potion once more. "There's nothing more vile than you, Snevillious."

"Shut your trap, Potter. You're not intimidating."

"I'll show you not intimidating…" James whipped out his wand, and Snape was quick to follow suit. This sudden animosity caught Professor Slughorn's attention, and he hurried between the two boys.

"Wands down," the professor ordered. "Obviously this pair is not working. Is there someone who will switch with Miss Evans? Preferably not Mr. Potter." He looked expectantly at the class, none of whom would meet his gaze. Remus sighed.

"I will."

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin. Miss Evans, please go and finish the lesson with Mr. Black. Perhaps you can fix that mess they've created."

As soon as Remus crossed the room and took Lily's place, he was put to work.

"You can cut up the silver beans, Lupin," Snape ordered under his breath. "Don't worry. There's not really a detectable amount of silver in them; it's the knife you'll have to worry about. The juices are only effective if a silver knife is used."

Inwardly, Remus winced. He had figured that Snape would make this miserable, but he had hoped nothing would sink that low. Then again, why should he be surprised? A Slytherin was a Slytherin, always and forever.

"I know where to find you, Snape," Remus growled so only the boy in question could hear. He grabbed the knife, and immediately every nerve in his hand cried out in agony.

"And I know where to find you, too. Every full moon. Don't forget that, Lupin."

"Yes, I recall. And I also recall that if James hadn't saved you hide, you'd be joining me once a month, and we could tear each other to pieces then instead of pretending to be civil."

Snape's face twisted into an ugly mix of anger and contempt, and with a great amount of control, he restored it to its original leer. Soon, however, a smirk flitted across his face.

"Oh, I think I forgot to mention that the beans are extremely ripe. Normally, the effect of the silver is negligible, but today and with that knife, they are very potent…at least to you."

Remus' knife came down too hard, and the juice shot up, landing on his face. The burning sensation quickly began, and Remus hastily wiped the juice onto his hand, only causing the pain in both areas to intensify. Both of his hands were soaked in the liquid by the time he was opening his last bean, and the fluid from this one managed to place itself on his forehead.

"Why don't you just wash it off, Lupin?" Snape leered, loud enough for the whole class to hear. "It's the most effective thing to do – for most people." The last part was low again, intended only for Remus.

With as much dignity as he could muster, Remus made his way over to the sink and plunged his hands into the water. The burning intensified, the water only spreading the silver and increasing its potency, and by the time the ordeal was through, his hands and face felt as though they were on fire. When he turned back around to return to the cauldron, he could see Lily watching him, regret and shock overflowing her eyes. He tried to smile at her, do something to assure her that he was alright, but nothing would come. Her eyes burned a hole in the back of his head for the rest of class.

As soon as Professor Slughorn dismissed them, Lily rushed over to Remus, Sirus trailing behind her. James and Peter were already there, and Snape had left none too soon. The five gathered up their books and supplied and quickly made their way out of the room.

"I'm so sorry, Remus!" she gushed once they were safe out of the classroom.

"What are you talking about?" Sirus asked. "He looks fine. Though I still don't understand why you would actually volunteer to work with Snevillious."

"Take the charm off," Lily ordered. Remus did as she said, and his hands and face turned a bright, irritated red. Lily felt the afflicted areas as he watched the look of surprise on the faces of the other three boys.

"He made me open the silver beans," Remus explained, every word shooting agony over his already burning face.

"The juices spread all over," Lily finished explaining, much to Remus' relief. "And that git picked the ripest ones he could find so they'd be sure to squirt. Then Remus had no choice but to wash it off at the git's suggestion. It would have seemed suspicious otherwise." Lily dropped Remus' hands. "I can help you, but we'll miss Transfiguration." She turned to James. "Can you tell McGonagall?"

"Tell her what?"

"Explain this to her after class. She'll understand."

James looked hesitant, almost like he didn't want to leave them, or he didn't know what to tell the professor.

"Please, James." She was pleading now, openly, and there was a little bit of something else in her voice.

"It everything okay?" He was worried; she sounded frightened.

"Please. I need to help him."

James finally nodded curtly and headed off to Transfiguration, Sirus and Peter trailing along on either side of him. Lily turned back to Remus at the sound of his voice.

"Where are we going, Lils?"

"Back to the Tower. Everything I need is in there. Does anyone not have class right now?" Remus was about to reply, but Lily answered her own question. "Maybe some seventh years, but they'll pay no mind."

Sure enough, the Common Room was empty when they arrived, and Lily immediately led Remus up to the dormitory.

"I'm going to numb your hands and face," Lily explained while casting the charm. "Can you feel them? Don't speak, just nod or shake your head."

Remus shook his head and sat down on his bed as Lily went into her room. He heard her rummaging through cabinets and drawers, and when she finally appeared, her arms were completely full.

"This is an ancient remedy," she continued to explain to him while beginning to mix ingredients in a little pewter bowl. "I'm not positive how well it works, but I've searched forever to find something else. Nothing was obvious, and thus I'm sure Madam Pomfrey couldn't do much better."

By this time, Lily had finished the concoction and was spreading the gloom over Remus' face and hands. It was an odd sensation; he thought he _should_ have felt something, but because of the numbing charm, there was nothing. However, soon enough, his face began to tingle, then his hands.

"Lils, I can feel my hands and face again."

"Okay, that's good. It's supposed to do that because it can't finish working through numbing charms. That's really only for the beginning because it's apparently very painful when you first put this stuff on. I think it brings the silver back to the surface of your skin so you're in agony all over again."

"Pomfrey definitely wouldn't do that."

Lily smiled. "You'll have to let it sit for ten minutes, then we can take it off." She fell silent for a moment then began to speak once more in a completely different tone. "I'm really sorry about this, Rem. I didn't realize that standing up to him for once would cause this. If I had known…"

"Lily, don't worry about it. This is better anyway. Sirus couldn't concentrate at all when you were with Snape; I mean, you saw how our potion was today! Plus, James wasn't comfortable with it either. I know you didn't miss how he reacted today. I'm surprised Slughorn didn't give them both detentions."

"That's not the point! He's going to make class miserable for you, and it's my fault."

"Lily, no it's not. I volunteered. I chose to do this." She fell silent, remembering their conversation from the first night back. "I think it's time to wash this stuff off anyway."

Lily reached over and picked up the dry cloth she had brought out with her. As she began to wipe off his hand, Remus asked a question.  
"Wouldn't it just be easier to wash it off?"

"The silver's still in here. You're protected because this balm traps it and keeps it from your skin. But even one drop of water, and you'd feel like you were on fire again. Once it's all off, you can wash your face and hands, but not until then." She wiped one last spot off of his forehead and put the cloth down. "There. I think that's it. You should look before you go near water, but I think I got everything."

Remus went over to examine his face in the mirror Sirus had hung up by his bed.

"I am always amazed by you, Lils. Every single time."

He turned back towards her.

"You're still a little red," she said, closely surveying his face and hands. "Does it hurt anywhere?"

"No, I feel fine," he answered as she disappeared into her room once more and shortly returned with a little bottle of clear jell.

"Here, put this on your face and hands." She handed him the bottle. "It's aloe. Muggles use it on sunburn. It's supposed to decrease redness and ease pain. You don't look bad, but it couldn't hurt."

Just as Remus finished putting the aloe on his formerly afflicted areas, a thudding of footsteps was heard. The door burst open, and in poured James, Sirus, and Peter. They all dumped their books then caught sight of Remus and Lily.

"Wow, Remus. You look a million times better."

"Couldn't have done it without Lil, Pete. She's a life saver."

"McGonagall wants to talk to you two," James said. "I think she was hoping soon. She didn't seem like she was getting what I was saying."

"That's because you were babbling like an idiot, James," Sirus interjected. "What do you say you two can go to her now, and the rest of us will meet you in the Great Hall for lunch? I'm starved!"

"You ate four hours ago, Sirus!"

"That's a long time, Lily-Flower! Please!"

"Alright. We'll meet up with you after we talk to McGonagall."

Sirus hugged Lily and with a look of boyish delight, took off in the direction of the Great Hall. Lily laughed as James and Peter rushed to catch up with their friend.

"I'll never understand him."

"You don't have to, Lils," James called back; she hadn't thought that he would have heard. "Just go alone with it."

"Come on. Let's find out what McGonagall wants."

Lily nodded and followed Remus out of the Tower.

When they first reached the Transfiguration room, Remus and Lily thought that no one was around, but they found their professor coming out of her office just as they were about to knock.

"Hello, Miss Evans, Mr. Lupin. Please come in." Professor McGonagall led them back into her office and offered them both a seat. "Mr. Potter attempted to explain to me why neither of you were in my class today. Let me see if I followed his story correctly. You were forced to work with silver beans today in Potions."

"Yes."

"And the juices got on your hands and face."

"Yes."

"Then you washed it off causing the silver to spread."

"Yes."

"And Miss Evans said she could help you and told Mr. Potter to tell me this."

"Yes."

"Mr. Lupin, I assume that you know silver beans contain traces of silver and are only effective when cut with a knife made of the same element. I assume you knew this before you _began_ your work."

"Yes, Professor."

"Then why were you slicing the beans?"

Remus looked uncomfortable and hesitated in his answer, not sure how much he should tell their House Head. However, Lily sensed his uncertainty and came to his rescue.

"It was my fault, Professor."

"Your fault, Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall looked skeptic.

"Professor Slughorn had partnered us up at the start of the term, and I was with Severus Snape. We were working on our potion today and got into a pit of a…row. Professor Slughorn intervened, asking for volunteers to switch with me, and Remus offered. I had been just about to cut up the beans so Snape made Remus complete my task. Snape knows; Remus couldn't have protested."

Professor McGonagall sighed and rubbed her hand wearily over her eyes. For a minute, she just looked at the two students seated in front of her, as if unable to say anything.

"Miss Evans, the 'row' you say you were in with Mr. Snape –"

"We were just arguing, Professor, nothing more. Professor Slughorn took it as a sign that keeping us paired was not beneficial to either of us."

"Alright." Professor McGonagall rubbed her eyes once more. "Alright. I want you to know that this is not either one of your faults, but unfortunately there is not much more we can do about the situation. Your Potions Master does not know of your condition, and thus it would be impractical to ask him to do anything. I will bring it up with the Headmaster, and I must tell you, Mr. Lupin, that I am very proud of the way you handled the situation. Twenty points to Gryffindor." She then turned to Lily. "It seems as though you have done a fine job healing him for what is not an easy affliction. How? And why didn't you bring him to the Hospital Wing?"

Lily pulled a scrap of parchment from her robes and handed it to the professor. "This was the only cure I could find when I searched silver burns. I figured that this was the cure Madam Pomfrey would be using, seeing as nothing else was even mentioned. Our nurse is not known for her tenderness when it comes to her treatments so I healed Remus. Everything I read indicates that removing silver is excruciatingly painful, and I wanted to be able to numb Remus first."

After Lily was finished this little speech, she waited expectantly for her superior's judgment. Professor McGonagall looked at the cure for a few moments more before turn to perhaps her best pupil.

"Yes, Miss Evans, this is the exact potion Madam Pomfrey would have prepared. By the looks of everything, you seem to have gotten it right, but next time, I would much prefer if you would take Mr. Lupin to the Hospital Wing."

"Yes, Professor." Lily bowed her head.

"And now, you may go to lunch." Remus and Lily both stood. "However, Miss Evans, if you could remain, there is something I would like to discuss with you."

Confused, Lily took her seat once more, and with his eyes, Remus asked if he should wait. She shook her head, and he left the room. As soon as the door had swung shut, the professor turned to her student.

"June Potter wrote to me the last week of August from St. Mungo's. She said you were in a right state – blood head to toe, Sirus supporting you because you couldn't walk two steps without stumbling – and that she couldn't get a word out of anyone about what transpired." The worry in Professor McGonagall's eyes was evident, and Lily cringed. She could tell this subject had been troubling the older woman for some time, but Lily did not want to have this conversation. "What did happen? A student should not be threatened during school nor during holidays."

"With all due respect, Professor, the world is changing, and soon everyone will be threatened for who they are no matter where they are. In two years, I will not be a student any more."

"Yes, but for two years longer, you are still a student, Miss Evans, and Hogwarts will do everything to protect one of its own. The Headmaster has made this point very clear."

Lily looked down suddenly and her voice that had just previously displayed her Gryffindor courage turned meek once more. "Nothing happened, Professor."

"St. Mungo's is always something. June is a very bright woman; she would not worry needlessly."

Lily didn't look up and still refused to answer the woman's pleas. This emotion baggage was hers alone to carry.

"There's nothing you can do."

"Lily…please."

When Lily glanced up, cautiously, she saw that fear filled Professor McGonagall's eyes, and she was thrown off. It was not like this woman to be scared so Lily did what she had to. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I was cursed by Lucius Malfoy and thrown into a brick wall outside of Florish and Blotts." She didn't open her eyes, just listened to her voice come out in a flat monotone. Even when the statement was out in the open, she kept her eyes tightly sealed as if that alone could ward off the memories; instead, the event just played itself over and over again in her mind.

"What did he hit you with?"

"A stunning spell, a few things worse. I've never seen them before."

"Dark magic," the professor muttered under her breath. "Verbal spells?"

"No."

"How did you know what you were being hit with if he was not verbally expressing the incantations?"

"By the effects." Professor McGonagall looked a Lily expectantly, as if she was expected to recap the symptoms. "You can ask Mrs. Potter for the Hospital's report. I'm sure she'll send it to you."

There was an awkward silence that filled the room as Professor McGonagall didn't know what to say and Lily refused to say anything. The professor finally made the first move and stood up.

"Well, thank you, Miss Evans. I must talk with the Headmaster, but understand that someone is always available should you have the need."

Lily just nodded and left the office. Once clear of the door, she sat down, leaned back against the familiar stonewall, and let her thoughts fly away.


	32. Breaking Flowers

**Overprotected**

Chapter 32: Breaking Flowers

James, Sirus, and Peter looked up expectantly when Remus walked into the Great Hall nearly at the end of lunch. He took a seat next to Peter and quickly grabbed a sandwich before all of the food could disappear.

"What did she want?" Sirus asked with his mouth full – something Remus chose to ignore.

"She wanted to know what happened," Remus replied, "and then proceeded to ask a series of questions that are pretty much summed up by this: did I know that silver was harmful to me? No, Professor, I wasn't aware; I'll keep that in mind next time, thanks."

James and Sirus stared at Remus as if he had just sprouted a second head. They had never heard him mock a teacher like that before; it was new and a little exciting. Maybe they were finally staring to rub off on him. The though made the two of them begin to grin, and Peter suddenly burst out laughing.

Remus turned abruptly to the boy sitting next to him. "Pete?"

"You're _mocking_ McGonagall!" he managed to get out between fits of laughter.

"Yeah, mate," Sirus added. "We never thought we'd see the day."

"It was just so absurd. Imagine me asking you if you knew dogs had fur. It's insulting!"

"Still, Remus. It's amusing."

Remus didn't argue. Sometimes it was easier to let them have their fun than to make them see logic. Maybe that was part of the reason why he had never punished the Marauders much as a Prefect, but his thoughts were cut off as Sirus spoke once more.

"Hey, you look really good, Remus. Whatever Lily did worked wonders."

"She's amazing," Remus agreed.

"At everything."

"Speaking of Lily," James suddenly interjected, the first words he had spoken since Remus arrived, "where is she?"

"McGonagall wanted to speak with her."

"About what?"

"No idea. She wouldn't let me stay, but I'm sure she'll be here soon. As far as I know, McGonagall hasn't started her meetings with Lily yet, and it can't be something big or we would have heard."

"Just call her, James," Sirus added wisely. "You can find out where she is, in any case."

James removed the auburn doe from his pocket and called Lily's name twice softly to the stone creature. Lily's figure popped up in front of them. She had her arms encircling her legs while her head was buried against her knees. James fell immediately silent, and Remus got annoyed.

"She's still by McGonagall's room," he said shortly as a nasty gleam came into his eyes. "I don't want to know what they were talking about."

"Well, I do." Just as James got up from the table, the bell rang, and he was caught up in a throng o students rushing to leave the Great Hall. "I'll meet you guys in the Common Room after I've gotten Lily."

Students began to fill the corridors where Lily was huddled, but she didn't notice. Their words were shut out by the protective barrier her mind had formed, and truthfully, relatively few had their attention caught by her small figure. That is, all but one. As the students filtered into their classrooms, Severus Snape took note of Lily and stopped, dead in his tracks.

"Lily?" he asked, looking at her curiously. When he didn't get an answer, he hesitantly touched her shoulder and tried again. "Lily?"

She recoiled at his touch, causing him to remove his hand quickly as though it had been burned.

"Go away," she replied without looking up.

"I just want to help."

"Help?" Her voice was sharp, and her green eyes pierced his own black ones as she looked up suddenly. "You nearly killed him! You killed my biological family and now you want to take my family at school away from me, too!"

"I know about your family, Lily."

"You know nothing about my family, Snape!" she shot back. "Severus knew about my family; you know nothing."

"Why are you abandoning me?

"Who abandoned whom? I never denounced your bloodline; I never thought you were stupid…"

"Lily –"

"I trusted Severus."

"Then why can't you trust Severus now?"

"Severus doesn't exist anymore."

"Lily, please –"

"Leave, Snape."

James had entered the scene, and for once, the Slytherin did not challenge the Gryffindor's command. He stood up without a word and slunk back to the dungeons. James sat down in the vacated spot against the stone wall and pulled Lily into his lap. She struggled for a minute but then allowed him to put his arms around her and lean her body against his.

They sat like that for a while in silence, neither one quite knowing what to say. There was dead silence in the corridors, and no one felt the need to break that silence. Somehow, James knew Lily needed to be loved and was providing that care; Lily knew she felt safe and was letting it block everything else out.

"Thanks," she whispered suddenly, and James looked down at the young girl leaning against his chest. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving a muscle; only the uneven rise and fall of her chest gave any indication that she was still alive. He knew that she was taking every precaution necessary to not break down in the middle of the castle.

"Do you want to go back to the Common Room?" he asked softly, pulling her closer to himself, making sure she was secure and comfortable. "Sirus, Remus, and Peter should be there."

She shook her head against his chest, and James was positively sure he felt Lily curl up inside herself.

"Alright. We don't have to go back yet," he replied. "Did he do anything to you?"

"Snape?" her voice still came out in a hoarse whisper, and she shook her head again. "No. He wanted to help – as if he could undo what pain he caused."

James breathed a sigh of relief. Even though he was pretty sure there was no way Lily could stick up for Snape after what happened to Remus, it was still heartening to hear; after the incident at the lake last year, he wasn't quite sure what to expect anymore.

"He thinks he understands just because he knows my family. But I can't loose you guys…I can't!"

James hushed her. "Listen to me, Flower. We will always be here whenever you need us. Nothing can change that. No one is going anywhere."

Lily didn't reply; there was nothing to say. She just let James hold her closer and refused to think. Eventually, he would ask what happened, but she wouldn't worry about that now. It was enough to know that Sirus would kill them if he found them like this, and she didn't want to think about that either; she knew she felt safe like this, and that was what she needed at the moment.

James closed his eyes briefly, letting the feeling soak his mind. He hurt for Lily – hurt with Lily – but took immense comfort in the fact that he could feel her slowly relaxing against him. His thoughts began to drift as he tightened his arms around the little red-head in front of him. First, to Sirus, who would chew James to pieces if he saw the two of them, then elsewhere. He had been so stupid last year, trying to ask her out by the lake while torturing Snevillius, and every word she had thrown at him had been correct. The even made him see himself in a different light, a change of which he was glad. He knew everyone said they would end up together someday, but he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize fate.

"Come on, Flower. Let's go back to the Tower. Classes will end soon, and I don't want to take the chance of having Snevillius come back."

Lily tried to weakly protest, but James simply stood up with her already in his arms. He shifted her slight weight around for a moment to make them both comfortable then headed off to the Tower.

"I never realized how light you are, Lily. It scares me a little."

"You and the rest of the world," she replied, recalling how Luke's letters would always start and the topic McGonagall would eventually always draw their conversation to.

"I'm just concerned about you, that's all. Merlin, you know I love you!"

Lily looked up at him, "I know" written firmly in her eyes. He had the sudden urge to kiss her but sorely resisted the temptation; he couldn't do that to her now. So instead, he went silent and kept walking. They didn't see anyone else in the corridors and just let the sound of silence envelope them. However, James knew he would have to break it soon enough.

"What did McGonagall say to you?"

"She wanted to know what happened this summer in Diagon Ally," Lily replied after taking a deep breath. "I told her that Malfoy cursed me and threw me into a brick wall. I think she expected me to describe in excruciating detail exactly what he did to me so I told her to ask your mum for the report from St. Mungo's. They'd know better than I what he threw at me."

"Did she say what she was going to do?"

"Talk to the Headmaster. There is nothing they can do, James! He's a Death Eater, I'm as certain as if I had seen the Mark." She fell silent for a minute then the words seemed to explode from her. "I hate them! I hate them all, because they're so cowardly. They have to pick on 'inferiors' because they think we're weak and can't fight back. I'd love to prove them wrong…"

Alarm sprang into James' mind. She couldn't go after Death Eaters; only fully trained Aurors should do that. She might be amazing for where she was, but that didn't mean she was ready. He refused to lose her the way she had lost her brother.

"…but that's the way Luke died, consumed with revenge. I can't disappoint him by going like that."

James breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll win someday; you'll see. And you know we'll be in the middle of it, not for the revenge but fighting to save the world. We'll bring something new to this battle, and the world will never be the same."

They finally reached the Tower, gave the Fat Lady the password, and climbed inside. Sirus was pacing nervously in front of the fire while Peter was curled on one of the scarlet armchairs, staring off into nowhere. They both looked over immediately when they heard the portrait hole swing open and looked immensely relieved when James stepped through bearing Lily.

He carried her over to one of the plush chairs next to Peter and delicately settled the two of them in, never letting his arms leave her, never letting her lack his comforting touch.

"You two look awful," Sirus managed quietly. He only had to take one look into Lily's eyes to see the pain. They reflected what they had held at the end of last year, but there was something more hollow, more despairing, more bleak. He nearly recoiled from the deepness of the emotion, and everything was mirrored on James' features. They were connected, he admitted, and it has to be. "What did she do?"

"She wanted to know about Diagon Ally, Sirus."

"Diagon Ally?" Peter questioned, and Sirus looked outraged that someone would dare bring up the subject.

"She asked about Diagon Ally!" Sirus exclaimed. "McGonagall made you recite what happened to you? Haven't they learned anything yet?" He sighed heavily in frustration. "Why do they insist on breaking you, my Lily-Flower?"

He reached out to her instinctively while James pulled the same girl closer. At that gesture, Sirus ran his hands through his long hair and slumped into a seat across form the pair. Suddenly, he felt very worn and drained of energy.

"Guys, what happened in Diagon Ally?" Peter asked hesitantly.

"Merlin, Peter. I keep forgetting you don't know!"

"Lucius Malfoy cursed me and threw me into a brick wall," Lily said, finally opening her eyes. Her voice wasn't flat this time, the first time that had happened, and she seemed near ready to break.

Peter's eyes widened in fear and began to dart around the room as single tears started to slide down her face. James gently wiped them away and whispered soothing words into her hair. Suddenly, Lily began to shudder, and even James's strong reassuring hold could not calm her.

"It hurt so much, James," she cried quietly into the air. "I didn't know anything could hurt like that…I thought emotional was the worst pain, but this transcends that by far. And there was nothing I could do; he gave me no chance to defend myself. It was madness."

She completely broke down then, tears cascading down her face, shaking so violently that Sirus had to help hold her. Peter took the opportunity to slink away.


	33. The Subject of Patrols

**Overprotected**

Chapter 33: The Subject of Patrols

It was dinner before Lily fully regained control of herself. She had let James and Sirus hold her until she had completely depleted her energy, and the two boys were near-collapse, too. It wasn't that they had done anything terribly physically trying; these spells just always left them very emotionally drained.

"Where's Remus?" Lily asked suddenly.

"Sent him to the Hospital Wing," Sirus replied, fully relieved that Lily had finally said _something_. "He looked like the living dead – and acted like it too – but he said he wanted to see you, Lily-Flower."

"Sweet Merlin, the moon's tomorrow!" James exclaimed. "I forgot."

"I'll see him now," Lily said quickly and made to leave. James let her go easily, and she made her way to the portrait hole.

"Do we have plans?" James was asking Sirus when she was halfway across the room.

"Yeah. We made them over the summer," Sirus was replying as the Fat Lady swung her frame shut.

The walk through the castle was excruciating. It was the first time Lily had been alone with this, and the thoughts nearly overwhelmed her. Remus, she thought, and as long as she kept her whole soul concentrated on him, she could continue to put one foot in front of the other.

Madam Pomfrey wasn't in sight when Lily reached the Hospital Wing, so she took the opportunity presented and darted inside. Remus' bed was in a secluded corner, curtains drawn, and she took a seat inside them on his bed before anyone had the chance to notice her.

He was startled from the book he was reading when her weight shifted the bed, and he looked relieved when he saw who it was.

"Thank Merlin, Lils," he said. "I was worried about you, the way you looked when James called you…"

"I'm better, now." She tried to block out the images and feelings that kept invading her mind.

"I don't know if I've ever been this angry at a Professor, Lils. Everything McGonagall did today…They're all so blind; they can't see what's best for the students, can't do anything to help…" He sighed in annoyance. "I'm so frustrated!"

"And once tomorrow's over, it'll all be okay again." She struggled to convey a mood she didn't feel and to keep her thoughts concealed in the back of her mind. Remus was more important now; he needed her, and she couldn't let herself need him.

However, he looked uncomfortable, the same look he always wore – since they had become Animagus – when the subject of the moon came up. Lily caught his expression immediately and knew exactly what was on his mind.

"I switched patrols," she told him, "to tomorrow night."

"James would never go with that," Remus blurted out right away. "How'd you get him to agree?"

"I only changed _my_ patrol," she replied firmly, but her voice suddenly dropped. "He doesn't know."

Remus knew what this meant. She was deliberately sacrificing a full moon to pacify James. She had deliberately not told James about the switch so that he wouldn't have moral conflicts between helping Remus and keeping Lily safe. And he wouldn't know until it was too late to do anything.

For a minute, Remus just sat in silence. He didn't know what to say; he wasn't sure if there _was_ anything to day.

"Did she hurt you, Lily?"

Lily looked away suddenly, but Remus didn't have to see the movement to know her answer. He had felt it radiating off of her from the second she had sat down, and try as she might, she was doing a very poor job of concealing it.

It took a moment for Lily to compose herself, but she eventually turned to face Remus once more.

"I'm sorry, Remus," she replied. "I just have to stop thinking about it. You need more than I do right now, and I'm trying desperately to put that first. I'm sorry I can't be there fore you tomorrow."

Remus wanted to hug the younger girl so badly. "Lily, I know you're there for me even when you're not physically beside me; you've proven that much already – and more. Not that I don't want you there, but it's a relief, in a way, that you'll be occupied with something else. I'd feel much better if you'd talk to James before just showing up. He may not hurt you next time, but that doesn't mean that he won't get a little crazy.

"James, don't forget you have patrols tonight," Lily told him as she sat down in the Great Hall next to Sirus and across from James.

"Don't _we_ have patrols tonight?" he asked between bites of chicken. Sirus glanced up cautiously as if afraid the simple conversation would escalate into something much worse.

"I switched mine to tomorrow."

James just looked at her, as if unable to comprehend what words had just passed out of her mouth. Sirus, too, paused in his never-ending quest to fill his stomach to glance cautiously to the girl beside him. Neither seemed positive of what was going on or how Lily would attempt to use this later. However, James wisely decided to decline those questions in favor of keeping the conversation moving in a positive light.

"So who are you patrolling with tomorrow then" he asked and resumed eating, a cue for Sirus to do that same.

"Cassie. We haven't talked for a while." _Though I'm not sure I want to hear what she has to say_, Lily thought briefly.

"And who am I going to be patrolling with?"

"I don't know," Lily replied shortly and watched as James' eyebrows jumped in alarm. "It might be a harmless Ravenclaw, if memory serves correct. Or that new Gryffindor fifth year Prefect. Don't worry; it's not Snape. Cassie'd never agree to that."

"I don't like it, Lils."

"There's not much you can do about it now, James," she said calmly. "Remus needs you tomorrow much more than I do."

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

"Why?" she demanded. "To make you choose between me and Remus? You need to be there for him!" Her nerves were giving out at last, and it struck her suddenly how tired she was. James evidently noticed it, too.

"You need sleep, Lily," he stated, concern filling his eyes. "Maybe it's good you're not patrolling tonight; instead of having two sleepless nights, you can rest."

Sirus glanced over at her once more to see how she would take this suggestion, and found she didn't even respond. She must really be drained if she was letting it show this clearly, or at least stressed. Merlin's beard, not this early!

"Here, Lily-Flower, lean on me for now," Sirus cooed soothingly. "I'll take you back to the Tower when James leaves."

"Is your flower alright, James?" Cassie chose that moment to make an appearance at their table. She cast a worried glance at Lily wile sitting down net to the boy she was addressing. "She looks awful."

"That's an understatement," James muttered under his breath. "Don't patrol her too death tomorrow, Cas."

"Don't fret, James. I'll have her back in one piece. Besides, I know you'll be absolutely lost without her."

"Too true."

The comment went unheeded by Lily, something that made Cassie's eyebrows almost meet her hairline. She threw a questioning glance at James.

"What happened to her? She looks like she's been through a war."

"An emotional war, yes. So many things happened today, I wouldn't even know where to begin." Cassie looked alarmed. "No doubt she'll tell you tomorrow on patrol; you have a way of getting everything out of her."

"Well, I'm looking forward to talking to you tomorrow, Lils," Cassie finally addressed the younger girl. "Rest up tonight though because while Sirus can carry you through the corridors, I sure can't. And I would hate to abandon you somewhere."

Cassie thought she saw the younger girl nod, but that moment may very well have just been something subconscious from sleep.

Not long after Cassie left the table, James took himself off to patrol, and Sirus roused Lily enough to get her back to the Common Room.

When James came back around eleven that night, he found Sirus can Lily curled up in front of the fire. Lily was deep in slumber, leaning heavily against Sirus, and light snores were even coming from the seated boy. James had to poke him a few times before he was coherent enough to notice who was standing before him.

"Let's get her into bed."

"I wouldn't say 'no' to that prospect either," Sirus mumbled while hand off Lily to James would carried her up the stairs and tucked her comfortably into her own bed.

The room felt empty, both boys noted to themselves. They were used to Remus being gone a couple of nights out of the year, but never before had it been this solitary. However, neither said anything as they both drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Lily walked past Peter's sleeping form later that night as she made her way through the boys' room. She crawled under the covers of James' bed, and he woke at the movement.

"I couldn't sleep alone," she told him quietly when his gaze fell on her.

"No, I suppose you couldn't have," he replied and moved over to make more room.

The full moon passed without incident. Lily had spent a good deal of her night with Cassie, not thinking about the boys. True, the subjects they touched weren't painless, but they kept her thoughts away from whatever was going on in the Forest.

Conversation with Cassie eventually reached the topic of James, and Lily found that she was dreading the topic less and less every time it was brought up. There were times when she began to wonder why she didn't just give the boy a chance, and she was sure that Cassie caught the feeling, too – even though she made no indication of it.

When the boys returned wearily to the Tower, they found Lily dozing in front of a dying fire. From the shock she got when they woke her, they figured she hadn't meant to go to bed but ended up collapsing here instead. They all dragged their weary bodies off to bed together.

Remus was let out of the Hospital Wing the next day during dinner, having sustained no major injuries during the previous night. That put everyone in a good mood, for the time being, that and the fact that the long week had drawn to a close.


	34. Flower Dances

**Overprotected**

Chapter 34: Flower Dances

"James, we're having a meeting in half an hour," Lily called down the corridors to the retreating boy's back.

It was early October, and the air was just staring to turn crisp, the kind of weather that lured everyone outside, regardless of the temperature. Lily had been chasing James ever since he left the Great Hall after dinner to remind him of this bit of news. All day, he had been saying how much he had wanted to be on the Pitch, and he thought he finally had a chance.

"Fifteen minutes," he whined. "I promise I'll be on time."

"Didn't you hear McGonagall after class today? She'll have your hide if you're late to the first meeting."

"I'm not inclined to listen to what she has to say right now."

Lily chose not to comment on that. "I'll have your hide if you're late to the first meeting – or for any meeting after that for that matter. I don't want McGonagall to find another reason to talk to me."

James turned around suddenly and jogged back to where Lily was. "I promise you, I will not give her a reason to talk to you." He kissed her gently on the top of the head. "I will do everything in my power to keep her as far away from you as possible."

Lily shivered at his touch but didn't draw back immediately. I was almost unnerving how used to his touch she had become, how she no longer jumped away when he acted like this. In fact, she sometimes – as much as she loathed to admit it – found herself wishing he would do this more often. Not just as a sister, though, or a friend, but as someone he cared passionately about.

"Please don't be late," she told him one last time then walked away.

True to his word, James wasn't late, although he did take his seat only seconds before Professor McGonagall entered the room.

"Thank you all for making it to our first meeting," she began. "Already, your Heads have been working to make this another memorable year at Hogwarts. They have come up with many ideas that they would like to share with you."  
She moved out of the spotlight to let the Head Boy and Girl take center stage. They introduced themselves and again welcomed the Prefects.

"As Professor McGonagall said," the Head Girl was telling the room, "we've come up with many ideas. The first one of which is to have a Halloween Dance."

The room broke out in excited chatter, and the two Heads tried desperately to quiet all of the students.

"It's it a little too late to only begin planning for a Halloween Dance _now_?" a seventh year from Ravenclaw asked. "It's already the beginning of October."

"We've thought about that," the Head Girl replied, "but found it would be relatively easy. No special menu or decorations would be required, only that which happens on Halloween normally."

"From what we've gone over – and if there's anything we've left out, don't hesitate to say something – we only need a band," the Head Boy concluded.

The room fell silent, each student calculating the facts for themselves. A couple were beginning to nod while a few were jotting down lists on scrap parchment. The Prefect from Ravenclaw spoke again.

"Alright, that does look good. We'd have to rearrange the Great Hall, but that'll only take a few people to decide what wall the tables should go against."

"Who would be invited?" another Prefect inquired. "I know Balls are fourth year and older, but Dances?"

"Everyone would be invited to stay until ten, but after that first, second, and third years would have to go back to their Common Rooms," the Head Girl explained. "We had a Halloween Dance my third year, and that's the way it was run then."

Lily remembered that dance. It had been two months into her first year, and while she was slowly adjusting to a magical life away from her family, the fact that these four boys followed her around everywhere humanly possible was still a little unsettling.

Like now, the dance had been announced in early October, and James had immediately pulled her aside after breakfast.

"Lily, do you want to go to the Halloween Dance with me?" he asked with as much charm as the twelve-year old could muster.

She hadn't known what to answer at all so she wrote to Luke.

_Hang on. I'll talk to him_, was his reply, and Lily waited patiently. Eventually she got another slip of parchment telling her that she should probably give James a chance but let him know if the second year tried anything. Only years later did Lily find out what Luke had written to James and what James had written to convince Luke he wasn't going prank the young girl.

Lily began to laugh silently, and James looked over at her in question.

"Remember that dance?" she asked him quietly. It took him a minute until everything clicked, but he shot her a smile soon enough.

"Care to enlighten?" Cassie asked from the other side of Lily, but the Head Boy started off on patrol schedules causing everyone to fall silent.

"I hope you don't mind if I don't take you to the dance this year, Cas," James said lightly as he walked out of Professor McGonagall's office next to Cassie. Lily was trailing behind them as if this was something she thought she shouldn't disturb.

"Not at all," Cassie began then sent him a sly grin. "As long as you take your flower."

James was about to reply when Cassie turned abruptly down a different corridor.

"'Night," she called behind her. "See you two at breakfast tomorrow."

She waved as James returned the bidding and heard Lily do the same, if not somewhat quieter. As Cassie disappeared behind a corner, James stopped to wait for Lily to catch up, and he turned toward her.

"Will you go to the Halloween Dance with me, Flower?" he asked, an eager look clear in his eyes. "And not just because Cassie wants me to ask you. I was going to ask anyway; she just happened to be there."

Lily would have laughed if she hadn't been so preoccupied with her internal debate. He really was a sight, so obviously clinging to her every movement. His eyes twitched to her hand as she smoothed her skirt.

"Flower?"

"Don't the four of you have to fight over who's going to take me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light but shaking underneath. "Won't they kill you?"

"Nah," James replied with a laugh in his tone. "Sirus will get over it, and Remus and Peter won't care. Please? Like last time?"

Lily took a deep breath. "Alright, James. I will go to the Halloween Dance with you. Yes."

Immediately, James' face lit up, and he grabbed Lily around the waist, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. Lily was dimly aware that they would make a strange looking pair to anyone watching, but she didn't care; all she felt was the moment.

When James set her gently down, he did not remove his hands from her waist, instead kissed her lightly on the mouth. She didn't react, just stood there a little shocked, and it was James who pulled away.

"Lily," he pleaded as her gaze immediately landed on her shoes. "Lily, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"No," she whispered, "it's okay. Just don't tell Sirus."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

They walked back to the Common Room just making small talk and found three bodies waiting impatiently for them.

"So?" Sirus asked, observing the giant grin on James' face.

"We got a Halloween Dance!" he exclaimed and began to dance wildly around Lily.

"You only have a month," Remus put in, concerned, knowing how much work something like this would usually entail. "Are they crazy?"

"It's actually not as much work as you'd think," Lily replied, watching James with a mixture of amusement and alarm. "Everything coincides with the usual Feast. All we need is a band."

"And a date," Sirus added. "Any ideas, James?"

"I already have a date."

"What? You managed that already? Unless you're going with Cassie again…" Sirus trailed off, but James didn't answer. Instead, Sirus turned to Lily. "And are you choosing to go alone once more, Lily-Flower?"

"I'm going with James," she told him quietly without looking up.

Sirus turned back threateningly toward James. "You did what?" In an instant, he was headed for the Boys' Dormitory leaving dead silence behind him.

James broke out of his stupor as Sirus slammed the door to their room. "Sirus!" He began to go after the other boy, but Remus held him back.

"Let him go, James," Remus said calmly. "He just needs time."

James sunk down in the nearest scarlet chair while Lily went over to sit by Remus. She laid her head on his shoulder as she sighed wearily.

"Is it really that bad?" she asked worriedly.

"Don't mind him, Lils," Remus replied kindly. "He just needs to get used to the idea."


	35. Halloween Mischief

**Overprotected**

Chapter 35: Halloween Mischief

Lily was writing a Potions essay an hour before dinner on Halloween. Classes had been canceled for the afternoon so students and teachers alike could finish preparations for the upcoming dance. As soon as her last class had finished, Lily had begun this work, and she was so engrossed at the moment that she didn't hear Remus come up behind her.

"The dance is only an hour away, Lils," he said gently, watching her jump at the sound of his voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just knew you'd want to be down there early. James actually left about fifteen minutes ago to go down to the Great Hall. Peter said he'd be coming down in a few minutes and Sirus is up in our dorm still."

"Thanks, Rem. I wasn't watching the time at all," she admitted.

"Only trying to make your life easier."

Lily smiled and finished the sentence she was working on. As she gathered up her books, notes, and parchment, Peter came down the stairs from the Boys' Dormitory in his best dress robes. She passed him in front of the fire and took the same path up that he had taken down. Sirus wasn't immediately visible in his room so Lily went into her own to get ready herself.

It took her fifteen minutes to get her dress robes on and put up her hair. The whole time she was dressing, she could hear shuffling around in the room next to hers – a sure sign that Sirus was still there.

When she left her room, Lily found Sirus sitting on his bed, ready to go, facing her. She thought he saw her and smiled.

"Hey, Sirus," she said lightly, still smiling. "You ready to go?"

Sirus was jolted out of his thoughts by her words and saw her for the first time standing there.

"Oh, hey," he said, with surprise evident in his voice. "Hey, Lily."

Lily was startled by the way he said her name and came to sit beside her friend.

"Sirus, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied shortly.

"Sirus…" She trailed off, not knowing how to breech the subject that she was sure was troubling him. It would be easier if Sirus spoke first, but she had little faith in that. "Aren't you looking forward to going to the Dance with Cassie?"

Sirus winced. Wrong way to begin, but he tried to play it off. "Yeah, of course."

"Sirus." She turned toward him once more, pleadingly. "I'm sorry that you don't like what's going on tonight –"

Sirus made as if to say something, but Lily continued on her previous thought.

"– but I'm not sorry that I'm going to the Dance with James."

"It's not that I don't want you to be with James, necessarily," Sirus said slowly and cautiously and then paused. He took a light breath before speaking again. "It's just going to take a little getting used to."

Lily laughed, and the sound startled Sirus.

"We're not together, Sirus. We're just going to the Dance."

"Together?" Sirus asked, but his tone had brightened considerably.

"Oh, be quiet. Why can't you be this witty in Potions?"

"I can't waste my wit where the Slytherins could pick up any of it!"

Lily laughed again and laid her head on Sirus' shoulder. He laughed with her then stood up, pulling her with him.

"Come on, let's go down."

"Are you still going to make this night very uncomfortable?"

He looked over at her and smiled. "I'm not making any promises, Lily-Flower, but I'm sure Cassie will make me be good."

"Lets go meet her then."

"Why don't you go down; Cassie'll be in the Great Hall already. I'll be down soon."

Lily nodded and left the room, presumably in the direction of the Great Hall.

It was just past ten o'clock, and everyone below fourth years had been firmly sent to bed. The Prefects had been assigned the regretful job of wandering around to root out any hidden students. That being the case, Cassie had just found her way back to Sirus, and the band had just started up a new song.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked her with all the charm he could muster.

"Sirus, I'd dance with you even if you screamed the question half way across the Great Hall," Cassie replied with a grin. "But yes, I would love to have this dance."

They had been dancing for only a minute when Sirus' eyes went stormy and began to follow something over Cassie's shoulder. She glanced behind her to see James and Lily dancing closely, not talking, just being contented.

"Sirus," she warned and took his hand to pull him away from the scene.

Cassie tugged on his hand as Sirus glanced backwards again.

"Let them be; they're happy. You seem to be the only one who can't accept it. Look a Remus."

Sirus did as she commanded. Remus was holding a glass of pumpkin juice talking to one of the first years who had somehow escaped the Prefects. He wasn't even paying any attention to the dancing couples.

"Don't you have to chase that kid out of here or something?"

"Don't try to change the subject. See Remus? He's not even watching them. And Peter…" She glanced around to find the last boy; he was nowhere in sight. "Well, that just proves it. He's comfortable enough with this to not even have to be able to see them." She grabbed both of his hands suddenly. "Sirus, let them be. He won't hurt her."

Cassie led Sirus to a bench right outside the entrance to the Great Hall. Simultaneously, they took a seat on the narrow bench, and Sirus leaned his head back against the stone wall.

"They're my family, Cas, all that I have. I don't want to lose them."

"Do you really think that they'd just abandon you like that? They know your family better than I do, and they know exactly what they mean to you."

"I know, I know. It's just –"

"Just what? I don't know if you really looked at Lily while they were together, but she looks relaxed, at ease. I haven't seen her like that since…since I don't know when. Anyone who is able to do that has my support."

Just as Sirus was about to answer, Remus stepped out of the Great Hall and found Sirus and Cassie.

"Sirus," he called over to the pair, "James is looking for you and Cassie. He's been trying to find you both."

He made as if to rejoin the dance, but turned back to face them again.

"What are you two doing out here anyway?"

"We just came to get a little air. It's quieter out here, easier to talk," Cassie replied.

Remus grinned. "Hope I didn't interrupt you."

"Nah," Sirus answered and stood up. He offered Cassie his hand to help her get to her feet. "We were coming back anyway. Do you know what James wants?"

"Haven't the faintest idea. He didn't say."

The three of them reentered the organized chaos of the Great Hall. Within seconds, they spotted James who waved them over to where he was standing getting a drink. Remus took the lead as Sirus and Cassie followed the first over to the table.

"Sirus, Cassie," James greeted happily. "Where had you two been? I've been looking for you for the past fifteen minutes!"

"We were sitting outside the doors, where Remus found us," Sirus replied. "What do you need?"

James pulled Sirus off to one side before answering, while Remus engaged Cassie in conversation.

"Lily said she's been trying to catch you all night; she wants a dance – at least one. Remus has been out there with her already, and I think she's even managed to ferret Peter out from wherever he's been hiding. It's really bothering her that the night is winding down, and she can't pin you down."

Sirus looked down guiltily then smiled sheepishly. He had actually been avoiding Lily the whole night – mostly to keep himself from glowering at the pair over Cassie's shoulder for hours on end – and had pretended not to hear her every time she called.

"Do you know where she is now?" Sirus questioned.

James scanned the Great Hall quickly then shook his head. "I don't see her."

"You actually let her out of your sight?" Sirus laughed.

For a few seconds, James looked startled then seemed to recover himself. "I think she's looking for you actually. She really wants that dance."

"I'll find her." Sirus was touched. All night, he had been avoided her when she had been trying to catch him so desperately. It never crossed his mind that James was lying or exaggerating the claim; it wasn't like James to do that, and it wasn't like Lily to pretend. So Sirus went off in search of the little flower.

He found her seated on the same stone bench he and Cassie had occupied only minutes before. She turned toward him as he sat down next to her and broke out into a wide smile.

"I've been trying to find you all night, Sirus," she said. "It almost felt like you were avoiding me, but I doubt that."

For the second time that night, Sirus felt guilty. "I've been 'being good', Lily-Flower. Well, it's mostly by Cassie's doing, but I've tried really hard not to ruin your night."

"Oh, Sirus!" She hugged him tightly then continued to lean against him, even after letting him go. "I don't know how I've managed to get lucky enough to have you!"

"Lily-Flower," he murmured back, "I don't know how I've managed to get lucky enough to have _you_!"

"Then give me one dance. Please."

"They just called the last dance, Lily-Flower. There's no way we could get into the middle of that. Besides, won't James want this one?"

"I've danced with James all night. Remus took me out a couple of times, and I even managed to find Peter once. Please. It won't be official unless I get one. We can dance in the hall, Sirus. I just want one dance."

A smile broke over Sirus' face. "Alright; I guess one won't hurt."

Lily jumped up excitedly and pulled Sirus quickly to his feet. They began to dance in the middle of the corridor with no thought of the outside world. No, it was not the same as dancing with James, Lily knew, but she still felt comforted and secure with the boy with whom she was dancing.

Sirus was still smiling, but his eyes suddenly turned stony as he began watching something over Lily's shoulder. She resisted the impulse to turn around and shot his a questioning look instead.

"Don't look now," he whispered, lips barely moving, "but Regulus is coming up behind you." Sirus pulled Lily closer. "My wand's in the pocket of my robes. Cast a shield around us."

No sooner had Lily done as he bid than she heard a spell called out from behind her. It didn't have much impact because of the shield charm that was around the pair, but they both felt the jolt.

_Expelliarmus_, she thought while turning. The non-verbal spell seemed to do its job. Lily effortlessly caught the younger boy's wand and watched his surprised look with amusement.

"You'll never make a good Death Eater if you continue to wear your heart on your sleeve," Sirus sneered at his younger brother.

"That was a cheep shot," Regulus cried back.

Sirus made a motion to say something, but Lily stopped him by putting her hand on his arm.

"And attacking someone while their back is turned is fair?" she asked in a deathly calm voice. "Twenty points from Slytherin for deliberate intention to harm fellow students. Ten points for being out past curfew. Go to bed."

Regulus just stood there stubbornly. "I'm not afraid of you, mudblood."

"And this mudblood is not afraid of you. Now go, before I ask Professor McGonagall to come out here. You'll be lucky if you come off with anything less than a week's worth of detentions."

The young boy took one last defiant stand before scampering down the corridor in the direction of the dungeons. Sirus turned to Lily.

"What now?"

"Tell McGonagall, of course. Not only is it doing magic in the corridor but he attacked two students. I don't care what's going on in the world; some things are still not allowed at Hogwarts."

"I know you didn't approve when we did that kind of stuff," Sirus said quietly, not following Lily as she turned to go into the Great Hall.

"It's past, Sirus." She continued to walk away, but he could see from her profile that her face had turned hard and a little regretful. Meekly, he followed her back into the Great Hall and up to the head of their house. While Lily told the story, he stood there trying not to think of anything but failing miserably. Professor McGonagall took Regulus' wand just as the band played its last chord; Lily turned to leave.

"And don't worry about cleaning up, Miss Evans. We will take care of that, as usual."

"Thank Merlin for that," Lily muttered under her breath when they were out of earshot, and Sirus was finally able to smile once more.

James swept Lily up in his arms as soon as she and Sirus made their way over to him, Remus, and Peter – who had managed to reappear.

"Enjoy the dance?" he questioned, only then looking down to see the slightly melancholy look still present on her face. "What's wrong, Flower?"

"I'm fine." She gave him a weak smile, and Sirus glanced over at her, clearly worried. James shot him a questioning look, but Sirus only shrugged – to wanting to say anything about what happened if she didn't.

"Why don't we go back to the Tower then?" Peter suggested timidly, and the rest of the group gave their tired consent.

"Don't you have to clean up?" Remus asked as they were crossing the threshold.

"The Professors are taking care of it," Lily replied.

"Lucky. Why didn't we do a Halloween Dance last year?"

Sirus looked over at Lily two hours later and was surprised to find her still awake. The five of them had headed directly to the Gryffindor Tower and promptly fallen over a couple of the scarlet couches. Most of them had drifted easily into sleep an hour ago, and Sirus assumed he was the only one still awake. Obviously not, not that one would be able to tell from the movement that she was making. It almost looked as if she was a statue, sitting so still, just watching the dying embers as James held her protectively in his sleep.

Sirus moved his head closer to Lily's. "I'm sorry about the dance, Lily-Flower. I know it meant a lot to you."

There was silence moment, and Sirus thought maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him. However, she soon answered him in the same hushed tones.

"It's not your fault, Sirus. You can't always blame yourself because the world is an evil place. You've always taken responsibility for your actions; let them worry about themselves."

She yawned.

"Go to sleep, Lily-Flower," he told her gently. "Don't protest; you're tired." His voice was commanding, deliberately changing the subject, but he was flattered.

"Take your own advice, Sirus. I'm used to it by now."

She stared at him defiantly for a minute or so then obediently closed her eyes. Only when her breathing was slow and regular did he allow himself to drift off, too.


	36. Malfoy Returns

**Overprotected**

Chapter 36: Malfoy Returns

It was Saturday morning in the middle of November, and the four Marauders were busily getting dressed and ready to go out. Normally, they would still be cozy and asleep under their scarlet bedspreads, but it was a Hogsmeade weekend – not to be missed.

Sirus went over to Lily's door and knocked cautiously. There was no reply, and he looked hesitantly back at the rest of the room.

"Lily-Flower? Are you in there?"

There was till no answer.

"Go in," James called over from where he was messing with his hair. "If she's trying to keep us out, she'll lock it."

"And what then?" Sirus questioned.

"We'll deal with that problem when we get to it."  
Sirus reached for the handle and turned it. It gave easily.

"Lily-Flower?" he called once more before opening the door.

The room was empty. Sirus only had to make a quick sweep to verify that. Once that was complete, he exited the room, closing the door behind him.

"She's not in there."

James swore and ran his hand through his short hair, making his work of the past five minutes all in vain.

"Let's not start this running off business again," Remus muttered angrily under his breath.

"You're not taking someone with you, are you, James?" Sirus questioned, half jokingly but the other half dead seriously.

"Only you guys and Lily."

"She's down there, guys."

Peter was standing at the top of the stairs leading down to the Common Room, still holding the door to their dormitory open. "She looks like she's ready to go."

All three boys still in the dormitory let out a collective sigh of relief and followed Peter down into the Common Room. Lily was sitting on one of the scarlet armchairs, her arms wrapped around her legs, chin resting on her knees, staring into the already strong fire.

James came over and put his hands lightly on her shoulders. "You alright, Flower?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." She looked up and smiled at him. "I was just waiting for the four of you."

"You are coming with us to Hogsmeade, right?" Sirus asked tentatively.

"Do I look like I'm going to hide?" Lily stood up, wrapped her scarf around her throat, and fastened her cloak around her shoulders.

"Was your cloak always that big, Flower?" James questioned.

"It's Luke's," Lily replied simply.

The four boys made no comment, just looked at each other before proceeding to follow Lily out of the Portrait Hole and down to the Great Hall.

It was a cool, crisp day and a bright wind was blowing when James, Sirus, Remus, Peter, and Lily arrived in Hogsmeade. However, the sun was shining down merrily, adding an air of excitement to the little village. Even the five Gryffindors, who had been countless times, were seeing the streets with new eyes.

They wandered around together until about noon when they stopped into the noisy, crowded Three Broomsticks to have lunch.

"Where to next?" Remus asked as they were paying and getting ready to leave.

"Why don't we split up for a little bit to do our holiday shopping?" Lily suggested, looking at Remus. She didn't dare to as so much as glance over at James, but Remus did. The other boy took a deep breath then shrugged and gave in.

"Where do you want to meet and when?" James asked grudgingly.

"Honeydukes in two hours," Lily replied, finally glancing over at James.

He sighed again. "Alright, just stay out of trouble."

"Trouble usually has a way of finding me, but I'll be careful." She hugged him. "Thanks, James."

With that, the five of them split up, each going in a different direction, Lily heading for the little odds and ends shop in which she had bought the rocks last year.

She just needed a fake flower. That was all she was looking for, but who had imagined that one could be so difficult to procure. After half an hour, she had everything she needed for the boys' presents, and she had even found something for her surrogate father. However, she could not find a decent looking flower anywhere that was not attached to a hat or a garden hose or some other miscellaneous item. In another instant thought, an idea struck Lily, and she headed off toward the Shrieking Shack.

Snow Lilies were extremely difficult to spot (being pure white and often buried in the snow), but eventually, Lily was able to find a whole one that hadn't been crushed by the weight of the snow. She cast a few spells on the flower before tucking it and placing it gently within the folds of her cloak.

As she was standing up, a voice came suddenly from behind her.

"So we meet again, Miss Evans."

Lily had to physically fight the urge to spin around and whip out her wand. Instead she remained still, not facing the voice, regaining control.

"Malfoy," she managed to spit out after a moment of silence.

"The mudblood's already being rude; and this early into the conversation, that's never a good sign. I haven't done anything…yet."

That was the point when Lily did turn around to find Lucius Malfoy standing less than five paces away from her. His arm was outstretched, and his wand was pointed directly level with her chest.

"What do you want?"

"Tut, tut. This is hardly the way to begin with someone who clearly has the upper hand. You might try being a little more polite. I could easily kill you."

"Then why don't you?" Her voice came out crystal clear, but under her brother's cloak, Lily was trembling.

"It is tempting, yes," Malfoy replied with a nasty grin. "But the Dark Lord would rather you suffer first at his merciless hand. So…" He left the comment open to her every inference.

Lily reached carefully into her robes feeling for her wand, but once more the older wizard anticipated her movement. Before she had even made the wand completely visible, he had blasted it out her hand. The stick of wood, her only protection, flew up into the air and landed in the snow ten feet away. She let out no exclamation, but he also took that moment to send her flying into the snow. As Lily pulled herself up, Malfoy shot another curse her way, repeating the process every time she got to her feet until her back hit the Shrieking Shack as she fell.

"This all seems a bit familiar," Lily managed to say, her vision swimming before her as she tried to stand once more. "Only this time it's wood and not brick."

"I'm sure we can remedy that," Lucius said coldly as Lily made it to her feet one last time.

All at once, Lily's whole body was in agony. She knew she was crumpled to the ground, but all feeling was blocked by the fire coursing through her veins.

_So this must be an Unforgivable_, she managed to think consciously before even her mind was consumed with pain.

Then suddenly, she could feel a difference. Through her blurred vision, Lily saw her torturer pause and look around.

"This isn't over, mudblood," Lucius sneered while turning on his heel. "You can't survive forever." With that, he disappeared.

It took another minute of attempting to hold on to consciousness for Lily to hear James' worried voice in the air around her. She tried to reach him, but her body just wouldn't move.

"James…" she called faintly. "I'm at the Shrieking Shack."

She didn't hear a reply; she didn't even know if he heard. Every word was agony, and finally, Lily succumbed to deep blackness.

* * * * *

It had started to snow as James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter hurried off to the Shrieking Shack. They didn't know what was going on, but Lily had sounded like she was in trouble, enough cause for them to drop everything.

James was the first of the boys to spot her, her crumpled form half buried in the snow.

"Lily!" he cried and ran the rest of the way to her side, the other three fast on his trail. "Lily!" He sunk down on his knees next to her unmoving body.

"James…" Her eyes flicked open for a brief second then closed as she began to shiver violently.

"James, we have to get her back to school," Remus said hurriedly, anxiety obvious in his voice. "She's been cursed."

Her too pale face contrasted sharply with James' black cloak as he lifted her gently into his arms, and he tried to hold her close to provide extra heat for her shaking body. He moved as fast as he could without causing her anymore harm, and somehow, they made it back to the castle. Somewhere along the journey, Peter had fallen behind and been left there.

James almost ran into Professor McGonagall as she was coming out of her office, and it was only Sirus' hasty cry that stopped him short. The witch looked ready to give reproach until she realized what – or who – was lying in James' arms.

"What in Merlin's name happened to her, Mr. Potter?"

"We don't know, Professor." James was trying to be polite, but he continued to edge down the corridor. The worry and strain was evident in his voice. "We have to get her to the Hospital Wing; we think she was cursed."

"Again!" Minerva almost swore. "Bring her to Poppy. Quickly. I have to find the Headmaster."

The three boys didn't need to be told twice. They immediately picked up their former pace and continued onto their destination. Lily was becoming paler with every passing minute, James noticed, and he could feel her body losing heat even as he drew her closer.

Madam Pomfrey was signing out a student when the three boys arrived with Lily. She immediately bid the young girl go and led James over to a bed in the corner where he laid down Lily.

"Wait in the front, by my desk," she instructed James, Sirus, and Remus. They moved reluctantly away from the girl's beside as Madam Pomfrey drew the curtains and disappeared behind them.

James took a seat on the edge of one of the chairs by the nurse's desk, right next to Sirus and Remus, but he was unable to stay seated for long. The other two shared a worried glace as James began to pace in front of them.

"I knew we shouldn't have split up!" James exclaimed angrily.

"You can't blame this on yourself, James." Remus was trying very hard to control his voice and not let show the fear he felt. He was pretty sure a Crucio Curse had been used on her and deeply hoped that James wasn't having the same thoughts.

"But we could have been there with her, to protect her."

"And then we all would have ended up buried in the snow with no one to find us."

"She'll live, mate," Sirus put in. "She's been through worse."  
_  
Yes, she'll live_, Remus thought. _It just depends on how severe the damage is as to how _well_ she'll live._

The three boys waited there all afternoon, watching the sun sink lower and lower behind the trees of the Forbidden Forest. After their initial conversation, no one attempted any more talk. James even sat down eventually and stayed slumped against the back of his chair until Madam Pomfrey emerged from the back of the Wing.

"How is she?" The three immediately jumped up and surrounded the nurse.

"Miss Evans is suffering from hypothermia first and foremost, and that is the prime concern for her treatment right now. Her body's threatening to go into shock, but I'm doing everything I can to prevent that."

"She was being buried in the falling snow when we found her," Sirus offered.

Madam Pomfrey didn't respond, and James used the silence to ask what was on everyone's minds.

"Can we see her?"

"She needs rest, Mr. Potter. The best thing the three of you can do for her is to leave her alone. Go to dinner; there will be plenty of visiting opportunities in the future."

_You're lying_, Remus thought as he and Sirus led James back to the Common Room. _Hypothermia is not the principle concern; she's been tortured by an Unforgivable, but you can't tell us that before you talk to Dumbledore._

Sirus, his brows knit, glanced over at Remus whose face was becoming increasingly darker. Remus saw the question but just shook his head. He couldn't say what he assumed, not now.


	37. The Unforgivable

**Overprotected**

Chapter 37: The Unforgivable

James went back to the Hospital Wing that night under his invisibility cloak. The few hours that had passed between leaving the place that evening and the time when Sirus, Remus, and Peter had gone to bed were excruciating, and he snuck out as soon as he thought everyone was asleep. He was wrong however.

"They'll do everything they can for her," Remus said quietly from his bed as James was bending over his truck.

James didn't answer, instead just grabbed the cloak and the Marauder's Map, and disappeared silently from their dorm.

Lily was tossing fitfully when James took a seat on her bed, and her body was wreathing in silent agony. He took note of the sheer number of vials above her headboard as he stroked her hair out of her face, trying desperately to comfort her. She began to whimper and moan, at times almost letting out audible words, and at the same time tears trickled their way down her ashen face. As best he could, James quietly wiped away the salty liquid, his heart wringing with every second of her pain.

The Headmaster then made his entrance, and Madam Pomfrey came quickly out of her office at the sound of his heels clicking on the floor. James chose that moment to melt back against the wall, but he thought he saw Lily's eyes flicker open as he rose from the bed. He barely got away in time for Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey to arrive at the fitful girl's side and for the old wizard to begin examining her.

"She's worse than I had hoped, Poppy," he said standing up.

"What did you expect, Albus? It's the Crucio Curse. Stronger wizards and witches have lost their minds from what she has suffered. It's a miracle that she is as well as this. Her body is still going through aftershock, and the last traces of the curse have yet to wear off."

"I had rather hoped that the symptoms could be attributed to something else," the Headmaster replied with a sigh. "I could have come sooner."

"There's nothing you could have done. It has to run its course."

There was a lull in the conversation as both adults looked down upon the patient, and James took the opportunity to comprehend the information he had just obtained.

She had been tortured again: that much he had known from the moment he had picked up her cold, listless body form the snow, but someone had used an Unforgivable on her! Although he had never seen one in person, both of his parents had told him more than enough of their effects, and he was filled with dread. Damage could be permanent; she could wake up with no memories, no knowledge of who she was, who he was, who any of them were; she would have to live with the physical pain forever, she could be mentally unstable, or she could never wake up at all. The last idea was so horrifying for James that he almost sunk to the floor and only avoided the action by grabbing onto the chair sitting next to him. It moved slightly, but no one appeared to notice.

"They were in Hogsmeade, you said, when the boys brought her in?" James dimly heard Professor Dumbledore ask.

"That's what they said, found her half buried in the snow, violently shaking, barely conscious. I can corroborate to the last two; she was the same way when they brought her in."

"And they don't know who did this to her?"

"No. We can only wait until she is coherent and her body has recovered enough to let her mind function normally."

"Will she be able to tell us?"

"As of now, there's nothing to indicate that she won't recover fully – not saying anything about the trauma she will have to deal with. She should regain her mind completely, and then the appropriate measures can be taken."

Professor Dumbledore didn't say anything more and just stood there a minute with Madam Pomfrey before following her back into her office. James waited for their departure before going back over next to Lily.

"I love you, Lily," he whispered, brushing her damp hair away from her face. "Please come back to us."

* * * * *

The walk back to the Gryffindor Tower was a long one because all James had to occupy his mind with was the conversation he had overheard. His concern and the worry he felt was almost enough to drive him out of his mind, and he couldn't get the picture of Lily's pained face out of his head.

When James got back to the Tower, he luckily found the Pink Lady still in her frame, and after one look at his face, she didn't say a word in reproach for his waking her up. Without another word, he climbed through the Portrait Hole and then dragged himself up to his dormitory. No one woke up when he walked through the door, and James was even able to note that it seemed like Remus had finally gone to sleep. However, that did nothing for James. He slumped back against his headboard and watched the sunrise in much the same manner as he had watched it set the evening before.

* * * * *

James didn't sleep the whole night, and he was still staring blankly out of the window when Sirus woke up the next morning. At first, he wasn't sure if his friend was awake – or had just fallen asleep sitting up – but one look at James' face told Sirus he was awake and had been for a long time.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Sirus asked, concern for his brother immediately filling his voice.

"Since two." James' voice came out a harsh whisper. It was cracked and rough, like he didn't anticipate using it for a while.

"Why, James? What happened?"

"He saw Lily," Remus put in quietly from the other side of the room. He hadn't been able to sleep last night either, after his conversation with James. Instead, after the other boy had left, he had laid in bed, listening to the night sounds. He had heard James come in at two and slump back against the headboard. Remus watched the sun rise too, knowing that James had just learned what Remus had assumed.

"Madam Pomfrey lied to us," his voice flat, emotionless, bearing much the same tone that Lily would use to tell the story later on. "Their main concern is not treating her hypothermia; it's getting her mind back. She was tortured with a Crucio Curse."

Here, his voice broke, and he finally collapsed in the bed, not longer having the strength to stay up against the headboard. Sirus was furious as he listened to James tell the rest of the conversation he had overheard while in the Hospital Wing, and Remus' worst fears were confirmed. It was one thing to think someone had suffered that much; it was quite another to know

"We have to go to her!" Sirus exclaimed fervently. "She needs to know we're there."

"I sat with her for over an hour, Sirus. She's in so much pain, she can't comprehend anything. It physically hurt me to watch that for so long, and to know that it's constant… I barely survived, how will she?"

"She was cursed once already by Lucius Malfoy; she can survive this," Remus assured, though he was worried out of his mind. _That won't help now, though_, he reminded himself. _Stay positive, for James sake, if nothing else._ "Let's all go down to the Hospital Wing when Peter wakes up. We can be there for Lily and for each other."

The other two agreed and waited for the fourth Marauder to wake up. He eventually did, and supporting one another, they went down to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey didn't want to let any of them in, but when confronted with the knowledge they each held, she wordlessly allowed them to pass.

James, Sirus, Remus, and Peter each took seat around Lily's bed, and they stayed with her all day. It was painful for all of them to watch, but they were strong for each other and for Lily, seeing as she was suffering more than they were. In their own ways, they each let her know they were there, speaking to her, touching her, or jut letting their presence say it all.

"I know you want to stay with her – and would stay all night – but I must request that you leave." Madam Pomfrey had come up beside the bed as the sun was sinking. "We're doing everything we can for her, but we need to be able to treat her for anything to have any effect."

James looked around at the other three then down at Lily and nodded. Without a word, they rose and departed, walking right past Professor McGonagall without seeing her.

"How is she, Poppy?" Minerva McGonagall asked, coming to stand beside the bed.

"She hasn't shown any signs of improvement," Poppy answered as soon as the four boys were safely out of earshot, "but she hasn't gotten any worse. I'm still hoping that her mind won't be damaged beyond repair when she finally wakes up. There's nothing to indicate that it won't, but you know the way magic works."

Minerva looked down at Lily for a moment in silence. "My heart breaks for those four boys. They care about her so much. Can't you do anything for them?"

"I tried to conceal the truth from them, about the Crucio Curse, but somehow they discovered it. It's not doing them any good to sit here and watch her battle the pain all day, but I can't keep them away."

"How long until she's fully conscious?"

"It's impossible to tell, but I'm hopeful that it will be within the week."


	38. Shock: Luke's Dead

**Overprotected**

Chapter 38: Shock – Luke's Dead

It took a week for Lily's body to physically recover enough for her to even hope to note her surroundings. James was sitting beside her as she laid still for a whole hour without a single shudder and then gradually opened her eyes.

"James?" she asked, slightly dazed as she tried to focus on his face.

"Lily, I'm here."

"James!" Her eyes sprung open and a look of terror spread across her face as she took in her surroundings. She began to look around wildly, and then she started to shake, even more violently than when the boys had first discovered her. "NO! You said you wouldn't bring me here, Luke; you said you wouldn't!"

James immediately got on the bed next to her and put his arms around her.

"Lily, I'm here," he soothed. "It's going to be alright, Flower."

Lily fell silent, but her eyes would not stay still. Her breathing was still hitched at an abnormal rate, and James had maneuvered himself so that Lily was half sitting up, cradled in his arms. Without changing his position or letting go of Lily, James pulled out the black dog that was always in his pocket.

"Sirus," he called to it, glancing down at Lily, "you need to come down here."

No questions were asked on the other side; Sirus just dropped the connection and presumably headed off.

The sudden voices had caught Madam Pomfrey's attention, and she came rushing out of her office. When she noticed that Lily was conscious, she tried to move James who was still attempting to sooth Lily.

"Mr. Potter, please. If she's awake, we need to do what we can to help her so that she doesn't suffer any lasting damage."

James didn't respond; his whole being was focused on Lily.

"Don't you want to help her?"

"He _is_ helping her." Sirus had just arrived with Remus in tow, and it had only taken him two seconds to realize what was going on. "Peter wasn't in the Common Room, James, but Remus was with me."

"What do you mean, Mr. Black?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "This cannot possibly be helping her; she needs professional treatment."

Sirus didn't answer; he, too, was already completely focused on Lily.

"They know what they're doing, Madam Pomfrey," Remus said, drawing the nurse's attention away form the three on the bed.

"And how do you know, Mr. Lupin?" Madam Pomfrey was getting worn out now, and she was afraid that the boys were only hurting Lily while trying to help. "Have you had better training than I have?"

"This has happened before." Remus took a deep breath, not sure how much he wanted to let her know. "Sometimes, when her body or mind has gone through a lot of trauma, she goes into – almost a kind of shock, exactly like now. This is the only way to get her back."

"How long does it take?"

"It's hard to tell, depends on how bad the shock is and where she is. Familiar settings are easier because she feels safe."

"You can't move her, Mr. Lupin. That I will not allow. She's been cursed; she needs to stay here."

"Then will you let us help her at least?"

"Go, if it will help her, but please get me if it becomes worse."

Madam Pomfrey reluctantly went back into her office as Remus turned toward the bed where Sirus was now holding Lily. As Remus sat down, Sirus relinquished his charge, and Remus took Lily into his arms.

"We've got you now, Lils," he said quietly, rocking her in his arms, holding her close. "You're safe with us. They can't touch you."

The three boys passed her among them, each trying what he could think of to calm her and end the shock. At times, it seemed like it was working; Lily's eyes would settle on a fixed point, and her breathing would slow down to an almost normal rate. However, as soon as the boys went to breathe a sigh of relief, she would be worked up again, whimpering and pleading with Luke to not put her here.

"What is that from, anyway?" Remus asked quietly one time as she began again.

"From what she told us," James answered in the same hushed tone, as Sirus was holding Lily at the moment, "over Christmas last year, when her parents died, she did something and made Luke promise not to bring her to the Hospital Wing. He did anyway, and this happened when she woke up. He didn't say that, but the signs were the same as they always are. I wonder if Luke had ever seen her like this before that."

"I doubt it," Sirus replied wearily while handing Lily back to James. "It's when she's scared and upset; he always does his best to make her feel secure and protected."

"And we don't?"

However, James' last words were drowned out by Lily's scared cries, and his attention was suddenly bent wholly on her.

"Lily, Flower, Luke isn't going to abandon you. He can't. You're safe, and protected, and we're going to make sure of it." James tried all he could think of to sooth her, the looking up at Sirus and Remus, he whispered, "Lily, I'm sorry to have to hurt you again, but…Luke's dead."

The words had their intended effect. Lily immediately began to cry and collapsed onto James. She was worn and hurt, but the impact of what he had said drove her out of shock.

"I'm sorry, Flower," he said gently while handing Lily over to Remus. "I never want to hurt you."

"Was that necessary, James?" Sirus asked hotly as he and James walked back to Madam Pomfrey's office.

"You can't think that I enjoyed that!" James exclaimed in reply. "I didn't want to hurt her. She knows he's dead when she's herself. It was just shocking her out of shock. Mate, she wasn't getting any better. P-"

James was forced to halt mid-sentence as Madam Pomfrey came out of her office. She swept them up in her wake as she walked briskly by them.

"I refuse to allow this to go on any longer. If Miss Evans is still in shock, she needs professional help, which you cannon provide."

Both James and Sirus had tried desperately to interrupt Madam Pomfrey during this little speech, but it was to no avail. Finally, they were able to get a word in.

"She is okay."

Madam Pomfrey turned around to look at them for the first time. She seemed to stop and almost let a look of relief cross her face. However, she then took on a more reserved look and continued toward the bed.

"I highly doubt that she's okay, but it is a relief that she is out of shock. However, I'm sure you must understand that she'll still have to go through much treatment."

James and Sirus curtly nodded and fell silent as they came in sight of Lily. She was curled up in Remus' arms, her head buried from sight.

"Flower?" James reached out to touch Lily's shoulder, and he found she was shaking. Her body twitched as they made contact, and he pulled his hand away.

"Is she still crying?" he mouthed to Remus.

Remus shook his head. "I just think she's in a lot of pain."

Madam Pomfrey was beginning to shoo them out, but all three were hesitant to leave the aching girl. Remus began to get up but only to make room for James next to Lily. Sirus continued to stand over them, as if on guard.

"If you want to help her, you could go to the Headmaster and tell him that she is awake," Madam Pomfrey said shortly, clearly getting irritated with the boys. "It's the only good you can do now."

The three looked at each other for a minute, as if weighing their possible actions. Then James nodded curtly and stood up, Remus following suit. Sirus led the way out of the Hospital Wing – not a single one daring to look back for fear they'd never be able to leave. Lily tried desperately to watch them go and call out, "Don't leave me," but the pain was too great. She couldn't even struggle as Madam Pomfrey forced her to drink a Dreamless Sleeping Draught. Darkness came quickly.

* * * * *

"They want to question her," James spat out while he and Remus followed Sirus to the Headmaster's office. Things in the corridor were heating up moment by moment while just the opposite was taking place in the Hospital Wing. "That's the only reason they'd be sending for Dumbledore."

"She can barely speak, James," Remus said, more calmly then he felt. "They know exactly what condition she's in; they know she can't do it."

"Then why get Dumbledore involved?" Sirus had turned around to face them and was now walking backwards. His stride alone conveyed his clearly angry he was.

"I suppose they have to. She _was_ tortured. Dumbledore may know more on the subject than Pomfrey does."

Remus finished and shrugged, trying desperately to keep in control of his emotions while James' face hardened.

"They'll save her, James," Sirus said firmly while turning back around to face front once more. _They have to._ He couldn't let any doubt enter his mind.

They stopped in front of the Headmaster's office soon thereafter, and Sirus went in to convey the news, having been sent most recently – and therefore, knowing the password. James and Remus waited in the corridor in dead silence, each too afraid of what his thoughts might hold to try to express them. In due time, Sirus returned, and the other two turned to him in urgent expectation.

"'Go back to your Common Room, Mr. Black. I will be there shortly,'" Sirus quoted bitterly. "How are we supposed to sit around when we know what they're going to do to her?!"

"She won't talk to them, not unless we're there," James said with fierce determination. "She barely told McGonagall what happened over the summer."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get back there!"

They started sprinting back to the Hospital Wind all at once. Why it was not simply enough to walk quickly, none would have been able to say; they all felt the need to run. Madam Pomfrey looked up sternly as they burst through the door, and that was the first time they made an attempt to calm themselves – upon realizing what they were doing.

"Her condition has not changed in the past thirty minutes, boys."

"You can't question her!" Sirus burst out without listening to what the older woman was saying while James said, "She won't tell you what happened."

Madam Pomfrey turned to the boys fully and just waited for them to finish, displaying much more patience than she felt.

"She wouldn't even tell us what had happened the time Malfoy had cursed her," James was still saying passionately.

"We're not planning on trying to get any information today, Mr. Potter. There are other reasons as to why I might want to talk to the Headmaster. I just gave her a Sleeping Potion. I _have_ experienced the Crucio Curse before."

"You don't know what she's going through."

"When I say that I have experienced the Crucio Curse before, I mean, Mr. Black, that I have had the curse performed on me. Perhaps not as badly as Miss Evans, but I do have first hand experience in this respect." Madam Pomfrey saw the tree boys' expressions of near confusion, so she chose to elaborate. "I worked in St. Mungo's for my internship, and there was an attack on the hospital my third day. While I was helping to treat and protect the patients there, some masked wizards came into my ward and began to shoot spells all over the place. I was caught by a Crucio Curse. I still do not know who they were, why they were there, or what they wanted, but I know I have first hand experience. I know the pain she went through; I know the sate of instability that her mind is in. Hogwarts will do everything to heal her, and that includes not asking her questions before she is ready to answer them. Please, trust me, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, we know what we are doing."

The story finally seemed to settle the minds of the three, and they just glanced once at Lily then quietly turned to walk out of the door.

"Thank you," Remus said as they were leaving, and he was speaking not just for the trust they had in her but for the new found respect with which she had endowed them.

* * * * *

Peter was in their dormitory when James, Sirus, and Remus had finally followed everyone's instructions and gone back there. As the three boys collapsed through the doorway, he almost jumped up out of his skin and looked up nervously.

"She wasn't supposed to get hurt."

James turned quickly to the fourth Marauder and gave him a peculiar look. "Of course not, Peter. No one is supposed to hurt her; no one should be allowed to hurt Lily."

Peter shook his head like James didn't quite understand what he was saying.

"No, she wasn't supposed to get hurt," he insisted, almost apologetically.

This caused all three of his friends to look up at him from where they had thrown themselves wearily in various corners of the room. There was a new tone in his voice, but no one seemed able to place it.

"Where have you been all week, Pete?" Remus asked carefully. "You were running with us from Hogsmeade, but it seems like we haven't seen you since."

"I got left behind," Peter replied, sounding suddenly small and cornered. "I couldn't keep up. Then I couldn't find you."

"Did you check the Hospital Wing?"  
"I went in for a while, but no one was there. I couldn't be there; I couldn't watch her. She wasn't supposed to get hurt!"

With that, Peter ran out of the room. The other three watched him leave in confusion but couldn't do any more than look at each other in wonder.


	39. The Horror Is Revealed

**Overprotected**

Chapter 39: The Horror Is Revealed

The next couple of weeks were miserable for everyone. Lily still didn't seem any closer to a full recovery, and the boys still had to stand by while she suffered alone. They watched her day after day writhe in pain while day after day Madam Pomfrey gave her something to ease the hurt or for a dreamless slumber. James, Sirus, and Remus were each there at least once a day just to sit with their aching flower, before class, during breaks, after meals, and even in the middle of the night, sneaking into the Hospital Wing under James' invisibility cloak to sit by Lily's side.

They, at first, tried to question Peter as to why he wouldn't come along, but the only reply they received was that he couldn't watch her hurt that much. Not that any of them enjoyed it, they just wrote it off to the idea that Peter was more affected. What they didn't know was that Wormtail occasionally snuck out during the night to pay Lily a visit, too, sunk in a dark corner, his eyes ablaze with horror at her plight.

Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore were not infrequent visitors also, stopping by every couple of days to check up on the Gryffindor, and every visit they were greeted by the same response that all was being done but she was not coming around yet. They would stay and talk a few minutes longer but always turn to leave with heavy hearts.

Lily had one more visitor that came by periodically. Sometimes when she would gain consciousness briefly during the night, Lily would see Severus Snape sitting in the darkness at her bedside. She would occasionally call out for him when one of the Marauders was by her side, and James had more than one occasion to glower at him as he peered into the Wing during the day.

For the third day in a row, Lily was staring up at the ceiling when she heard footsteps. Glancing over quickly, she saw Remus then shut her eyes and rolled away from him, feigning sleep. He kept walking toward her and sat down so that she was facing him.

"No good, Lily. I saw that." She didn't move, didn't reply, as if trying to prove him wrong. Remus sat in silence for a minute, waiting before speaking again. "Really, Lily, hasn't this gone on long enough?"

At this, Lily opened her eyes and turned back over so that she was facing the ceiling once more.

"What did you expect, Remus?" she questioned sharply. "Was I supposed to bounce back in a day or two?"

"I didn't say that!" he exclaimed, getting defensive. The full moon was only a few days away, and he was already tense. "You've been doing this for the past three days: avoiding us whenever we come in here. You've been still for the past week."

"I don't want to tell them." Her voice suddenly became small again, like it always did when she felt defenseless.

"You mean they haven't asked yet?"

Lily shook her head and continued to stare into the ceiling. "Madam Pomfrey's been coming in every day, asking me pointless questions about myself, the school, our teachers… I guess to see if my mind's stable. I'm not stupid, Remus," the look on his face caused her to add, "I know what they're afraid of."

Remus stayed silent for a few minutes longer, wondering if Lily would tell him anything else, just waiting. However, she too remained silent.

He sighed. "You have to tell them, Lily."

"They can't do anything, Remus." She shook her head again before continuing in that same, small, frightened voice he had heard earlier. "It's the same as before."

"The same…" He trailed off before realization hit him. "Malfoy!" Remus didn't have to look over at Lily for confirmation, but when he did, her eyes held all of the answers that he needed. They held all the pain, all the nightmares, all the suffering that she had faced and would face for many years to come.

"Where are you going?" she asked quickly as he abruptly stood.

"To talk to Dumbledore."

"No, Rem, please."

"You have to tell someone, Lily!" His voice was rising with every word. "This has gone on long enough!"

Lily was taken aback by his actions and then was filled with understanding.

"How long until the full moon, Rem?"

"That has nothing to do with this!" he practically yelled, and Lily suddenly sunk back down into the bed, watching him with frightened eyes. Remus was never like this; she didn't understand, but as if suddenly noticing what he was doing, Rmeus lowered his voice and looked at Lily once more. "James isn't the only one who's allowed to worry about you, Lily. You're a sister to me, and I would die rather than lose you. Can't you see that I care about you, too?"

Lily looked up at him, weighing the information for a minute before replying. "Then don't go," she said quietly, as if that simple persuasion could stop him.

"I'm talking to Dumbledore," he returned before acquitting her bedside.

Remus left the Wing looking much more calm and in control of his feelings than he actually was. Inside, he was fuming, cursing Malfoy for his cruelty, cursing the world for setting put this ill-based prejudice against muggleborns. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts as he stormed to the Headmaster's office that he almost ran over James.

"Remus," James looked shocked, worried, and slightly confused as he addressed his friend, "where are you going so…forcefully?"

"To see Dumbledore."

"Why?" James suddenly became alarmed. "Is something wrong? Did something…" He couldn't complete the thought.

"Go talk to Lily," Remus commanded, interrupting James' babble and staring to walk off again.

"But…is she…I thought…" James could barely put two coherent words together as he attempted to call Remus back, but it was to no avail. Remus would not be stopped.

"Talk to Lily." The order was issued again, and the voice that spoke it left no room for debate. James turned and followed the path Remus had just left.

As Remus traveled to find Professor McGonagall as Professor Dumbledore had asked, he played the conversation he had just had with the Headmaster over in his own mind. It wasn't even that he had told Professor Dumbledore that much – not that he even knew that much himself – just that Lily said it was Malfoy and she was ready to tell. Well "ready" may have been pushing it a little, but Remus knew she needed to say it all.

So here he was, the office next to their Transfiguration classroom about to knock on the door and give a message whose consequences he was dreading.

At first, he thought she wasn't in, even though this was there the Headmaster had said to look. However, after more persistent knocking, shuffling was heard inside the office, and Professor McGonagall answered the door.

"Mr. Lupin," she began and her tone clearly displayed its owner's shock, "this is rather unexpected. Shouldn't you be in class?"

"We have a free period, Professor," he replied respectfully, though it dimly dawned on him that they had Transfiguration in twenty minutes.

Professor McGonagall seemed to recover quickly form her surprise and once more regained her usual composure.

"What can I help you with then, Mr. Lupin? It is a bit late to inquire about the last lesson, but I realize that you will be out shortly."

Remus pushed down his anger at once more being reminded of the upcoming full moon and continued in a clam voice. "Professor Dumbledore asks that you meet him in the Hospital Wing as quickly as possible."

Professor McGonagall dropped her composure once more as her face visibly paled. "Has something happened to Miss Evans?"

"He just said to meet him there," Remus repeated, willing himself to not give away the fact that he knew more tan he was relaying.

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin," she said, dismissing him. "I will be there…momentarily."

Remus acknowledged the dismissal with a nod of his head and turned to leave just as Professor McGonagall disappeared back into her office. Quickly, he walked back down the corridor towards the Hospital Wing, hoping to get there before anything began. James would be there, he knew, but this was his own doing – not James' – so Remus couldn't let himself coward out now.

"But should I get Sirus?" Remus mused out loud just as he rounded a corner – just in time to see Sirus ahead of him.

With energy he didn't think that he possessed, Remus jogged ahead to catch up with Sirus.

"Hey, Sirus!" Remus called as he neared. "Wait up, mate."

Sirus stopped and turned toward the voice.

"Remus?"

"Yeah," Remus replied, halting before the other boy. "I was just wondering if I should stop by the Common Room to get you."

"James called me." He held up the two-way mirror that he and James used to communicate during detentions or whenever they were apart. "Said to come down to the Hospital Wing, that you were talking to Dumbledore. I tried to get more out of him, but he wouldn't say."

Remus started to walk again, indicating that he and Sirus should keep going. However, it seemed as if as they began to move, Sirus had just gotten a good look at Remus.

"Are you okay, mate?" Sirus asked. "You look rather pale." Then suddenly it dawned on him. "Sweet Merlin! The moon's in two days! Why didn't you say something?"  
"I'm fine, Sirus," Remus replied, not looking back. "It doesn't matter. We've all been worried about Lily. It's fine."

Sirus chose not to answer and just followed Remus to the Hospital Wing. Remus was grateful to see that nothing had seemed to happen yet, and Professor McGonagall hadn't even showed up – although the Headmaster and Madam Pomfrey were talking quietly in a corner. James was sitting on the bed holding Lily close to him looking fiercely protective. She wasn't looking at anything at all, just had her head buried in James' chest and seemed as if she wanted to disappear from the world.

James glanced over when Sirus and Remus walked through the door, as did Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey. He looked gratefully at his best friend and then caught Remus' eyes. _She told me everything_, James wanted to tell the one who had sent him, but the Headmaster spoke first.

"Did you speak with Professor McGonagall, Mr. Lupin?"

_We'll talk later_, Remus' look told James before he replied to the Headmaster. "Yes, sir. She said she would be right here."

Professor Dumbledore nodded shortly before going back to his conversation with Madam Pomfrey, just as Professor McGonagall walking through the door. She turned apologetically to the Headmaster as soon as she stopped.

"I came as soon as I could, Albus."

"Thank you, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore replied. "I apologize for the short notice, but Mr. Lupin informed me that Miss Evans was ready to tell us what happed to her in Hogsmeade."

Professor McGonagall glanced over shortly as Remus then turned her gaze, somewhat disbelievingly, to Lily who was still huddled against James.

"Alright," she said, taking a seat along with the Headmaster and nurse. She looked expectantly at Lily, as if waiting for the young girl to turn and start speaking.

James cleared his throat. "She told me, Professor, and asked if I would tell everyone else."

"Alright then, Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall switched her focus. "Please proceed."

James took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "It was Lucius Malfoy, again," he said then opened his eyes to see the responses of his professors. They all took it stoically, only small hints giving away their anger. Madam Pomfrey began to shake her head slowly, Professor McGonagall's lips compressed into a thin, white line, and the twinkle seemed to have gone out of the Headmaster's eyes.

"Please proceed," Professor McGonagall said again, though much weaker this time, more restrained, and James knew she was trying to hold back her anger and frustration.

"Lily was at the Shrieking Shack when Malfoy came up behind her and began to taunt her. When she turned around, he had his wand drawn, pointed at her, and he blasted hers out of her hand before she even managed to get it out of her cloak…"

It was surreal listening to her own tale, Lily realized. Painful, too. As James laid bare what had happened, Lily experienced the dreadful day all over again. All of the memories that she had tried so hard to suppress assaulted her once more. She felt her heart race in fear. She felt the torment of being continuously cursed into the snow. She felt the agony of that final Unforgivable. She felt the hopelessness as she lay in the cold in the moment before she had passed out.

Lily wanted to curl up and die. She wanted to look over at Sirus and Remus just to know they were there for sure, but she dared not move, les the professors take that as a sign that she was ready to talk for herself.

"…and so we raced her back here," James was finishing as Lily turned her thoughts fully back to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter." The Headmaster was the first to reply. Even Professor McGonagall, who had been the one to take charge initially, had fallen silent. "However, I'm afraid we must also question Miss Evans on some matters."

James pulled Lily closer to him, as if daring any of them to get anything out of her that she hadn't told him. However, Lily knew what she had to do. Even with James' arms around her, she managed to turn toward the three adults. If they were shocked in any way by her pale complexion, or by the depth of the haunted look in her eyes, they concealed the emotion well, and the Headmaster continued.

"Miss Evans, do you attest that everything Mr. Potter has spoken is exactly what happened to you?"

"Yes," Lily whispered in return, her voice full of the agonies she had suffered along with another emotion James could just sense: fear. He had no clue if the professors or nurse has picked up on it, but he felt Sirus and Remus stiffen behind him and knew they had heard it.

"Do you know what spells he used?"

Lily shook her head. "It was the same as last time, only non-verbal. And the Unforgivable."

James tensed up around her as Lily involuntarily shuddered. She knew this was painful for him. Every mention of the one curse brought waves of guilt: his thinking that he could have somehow prevented it.

"Was this time worse?"

"Much worse." Lily let the words hang in the air for a minute. Not because she wanted everyone to dwell on their meaning, but because she was afraid of what else she had to say. "He found me. It wasn't just a coincidence; twice, now he's been waiting for me, tracking me."

Professor Dumbledore seemed to really study Lily for a minute before folding his hands together and leaning back in his chair. For the first time, Lily felt that her Headmaster was ill equipped to deal with a problem that was brought before him. The thought nearly terrified her beyond belief.

"I'm scared, Professor." Lily's voice was barely more than the rustle of dry leaves, but everyone caught her words and her tone.

The Headmaster reflected another moment before responding in the same quiet tone that his pupil had used.

"I am, too, Lily, and there's nothing wrong with that. The world is a bigger creation than any one person can handle, and I believe this war will turn into much the same – has already turned. However, we are never alone, and therein lies our collective power. Remember, Lily, there is strength in friendship; there is strength in love."

As the three adults stood and began their retreat into Madam Pomfrey's office, Lily knew that she would never forget those words.

The four students kept perfectly still until they heard the click of a shutting door, and then, as if on cue, they each let out the breath they had been holding. James looked over at Remus, who had slumped against the wall, and gave him a look of sheer appreciation. Remus tried to smile back, but his face would not form the expression.

"How do you manage to do it all, Remus?" Sirus asked, pure wonder filling his voice. "You look awful, but you still manage to hold us all together."

"I'm fine, Sirus, really," Remus replied. "Nothing that won't be fixed in a few nights."

He was trying to make light of the situation, but the other three could tell it was draining his energy and straining his nerves.

"Speaking of that," Sirus spoke up, obviously referring to the full moon that was in two nights, "has anyone seen Peter lately? I looked for him when I came down here, but he wasn't anywhere. I would have been earlier."

"We need to plan," James agreed. "And if Peter isn't here soon, we'll just have to fill him in later."

"If it's all right with you guys, I'd just like to get some sleep and try not to tear anyone apart."

"Moony gets what Moony wants. Prongs, Wormtail, and Patdfoot are always just there for that." Sirus' tone was light, but he meant every word. They had become Anamagi in order to help Remus once a month, to be there for him, not to cause any more trouble.

Remus was about to respond but was cut off from doing so by Madam Pomfrey's return, followed by that of the two professors. The Headmaster and his deputy took their leave with a slight nod to the students, but Madam Pomfrey turned to the four.

"Mr. Lupin," she started, "I'd like to speak with you in my office." She then addressed James and Sirus. "And if it was not for that, visiting time would be long over. Miss Evans needs her rest still."

James, Sirus, and Lily looked over at Remus, who glanced back, just as confused, at them as he was being led away. However, he dutifully followed Madam Pomfrey into her office and waited patiently as she closed the door.

"Your friends are concerned about you, Mr. Lupin. They feel that you've been…tense lately…perhaps due to the upcoming full moon."

Remus leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes tightly, desperately trying to keep his temper in check. It would do nothing to last out at this woman who just did her best to make his monthly transformations easier, if possible.

"It's closer this month," Remus said, taking a deep breath. "I can feel it." He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "It'll be worse this time."

"Then perhaps you'd better stay here until it's over with. Rest a bit, and you can keep Miss Evans company. She's going to need it now."

She's not going to want mine, Remus almost said but thought better of it. This really wasn't the time not place. Besides, when Madam Pomfrey made a suggestion, it was always better to consent to the request than try to fight it.

He bowed his head in acceptance, and the woman smiled slightly before ushering him out of her office. The other three looked at him questioningly but he shook his head.

"Alright, you two, visiting time is over," Madam Pomfrey said briskly, trying to usher out James and Sirus. "Come on! I need to treat my patients, and they need their rest. Out!"

"Aren't you coming, Remus?" James asked as he got up – regretfully – off of Lily's bed.

The boy in question shook his head. "I'll talk to you later," he said, patting his pockets where the animals were.

James nodded in recognition then bent over and kissed Lily on the top of the head.

"I'll come by tomorrow, Flower. Keep healing."

"See you soon, Lily-Flower," Sirus added as he and James walked out of the Hospital Wing.

Lily watched Remus as he took a seat on the bed next to hers. She felt him studying her, just like everyone else had been doing throughout the day. "I'm not going to fall apart," she wanted to tell him but decided against it, not knowing what would throw his mood.

"So you're staying then?" she asked instead.

"Yeah," he replied. "Pomfrey's 'suggestion' – and yours, I assume."

"You're not the only one who cares about people, Remus! Just because I'm here doesn't mean I can't worry, too!" She was throwing his own words back at him, she realized after a moment. Once the revelation was made, she tried to calm herself before throwing any more words around. "I'm sorry, Rem, for everything. I – I shouldn't have said that!"

Both of them let the words hang in the air for a minute before either tried to say something more. Remus was just about to open his mouth, but Lily cut him off.

"Thank you for getting James," she said, her voice barely rising above a whisper.

"I wish I could have done it instead, but I know you need him. He'll always be just a little ahead of the rest of us."

"It's not that he's ahead of you guys, Rem. You're all so special to me. He just…well, I just care about him in a different way. He holds a different place, but that doesn't mean I care about any of you any less."

"I know, Lils. It's just hard sometimes, knowing we can never do for you what he can."

They sat in silence for a few minutes longer, both deep in their own thoughts. There wasn't much to contemplate in the Hospital Wing, its walls being austere and bare to the utmost extreme, so each turned inward to themselves and the lives they had touched.

"You know," Remus said finally, breaking the silence, "you're the only one I let call me 'Rem' on a pretty regular basis. Not even my parents do that anymore."  
"When did they stop?"

"When I was seven."

Comprehension dawned on Lily. She smiled knowingly and nodded her head in recognition.

"It's not because of my condition!" Remus insisted adamantly. "My parents have always been nothing but the best to me, fully supportive in every way possible."

Lily let the topic go but put the information away somewhere in the back of her brain. However, all of the talk about Remus' "furry little problem" reminder her of something she wanted to talk to him about.

"Remus, I want to come with you four this month."

This was not at all what Remus had expected from her, and the notion nearly blew him away. She hadn't been out during a full moon since the time when she had gotten hurt and missed her brother's funeral.

"No. That's not a good idea, Lily. It won't work."

"Okay." Remus let out a breath. He hadn't thought it would be that easy. "Let me rephrase that: I'm coming this month. You can't stop me."

Of course it couldn't be easy.

"At least talk to James first so he knows. Even if Prongs recognizes Prongsette, he may see her as a threat. We don't want any repeats of last time. James will be back tomorrow; talk to him then."

Remus was, once again, cut off from saying more by the entrance of Madam Pomfrey. She began to check the two over, and all they could do was wait for the next day.


	40. Full Moon Acceptance

**Overprotected**

Chapter 40: Full Moon Acceptance

The bell had just rung, signaling the beginning of lunch, when Remus and Lily heard footsteps enter the Hospital Wing. Remus was looking quite pale and sickly, anticipating Tuesday's moon, but he gave Lily a weak smile when he heard the arguing voices from within the next room.

"Please Madam Pomfrey, we have classes all during visiting hours," they heard James beg. "You said we could come back tomorrow to see them, and this is the only chance we'll have."

"Unless you'd rather have us skip class…" Sirus added, trailing off, knowing the nurse would never allow it.

"Alright, alright!" she gave in. "But you only have five minutes. Neither of them has nearly enough strength to deal with either of you today."

"And neither does she, apparently," Remus said quietly, his face perfectly straight. Lily gave him a weak half grin, and Remus smiled back, happy to get that much of a response from her.

The footsteps were growing steadily louder, and soon Madam Pomfrey came into view, followed closely by James and Sirus. She led them over to Remus and Lily then turned to address all four.

"Five minutes. No more," she reminded before walking away, leaving them in solitude.

"I was afraid she'd never leave us alone," Sirus said opening a chocolate frog next to Remus' bed and then taking a seat in the chair in between the two beds.

"Where's Peter?" Remus asked.

"Couldn't find him anywhere," James answered, taking a seat on Lily's bed. Sirus just shrugged. "We told him we were going to come here right after Defense, but he left before we could get to him."

"Check the map?"

"Of course. Thought maybe he went down to the Great Hall by mistake, but he wasn't there, or in the dormitory, Common Room, Kitchens… We scanned the whole thing: no Peter."

"He can't have just disappeared."

"Well, he has to be _somewhere_, we just don't know where."

The room fell silent as each of the four let their minds wander, soaking up this information. Throughout the whole conversation, Lily had kept glancing at James then looking quickly away, something Remus had not missed, and now she was staring pointedly at the ceiling. Remus mentally sighed and silently begged Sirus' forgiveness before opening his mouth.

"James, I think Lily has something she wants to tell you."

James shot a questioning look at Remus before turning his attention to Lily, and Sirus' face held a look of pure dread. Lily, too, glanced quickly at Remus before continuing to stare at the ceiling, her sheets, Sirus' chair – anything besides James himself.

"Lily?" James asked, after she had been silent for a few minutes.

"I'm coming with you tomorrow," she finally said, boldly, lifting her eyes to meet his.

"No!" both James and Sirus called out immediately.

"No, Lily," James repeated. "It's dangerous. You're not ready to deal with that; you're still recovering. We won't let you."

"I'm so sick of laying in this bed all day. I need to do something. Besides, Remus said that he just wanted to rest, and the only danger I faced last time was from you!"

"Which is why you're not going."

"I can make my own decisions!"

"And what will you tell Pomfrey when she realizes you were gone?"

Lily put on her best innocent face. "I just wanted to sleep in my dorm for one night, Madam Pomfrey. I miss my friends, and I thought it might help my recovery if I was in some place familiar for a night."

"I don't like it…"

"Remus said 'yes'."

Accusingly, James turned to Remus, who put his hands up in the air in surrender.

"I told her to talk to you, James. I don't like it either."

James shook his head, almost in defeat. He looked sad in a way, but hopeful.

"I'm bored in here, James. I need to get out; I've been stuck in here for too long."

"Does this mean that you're…that you're…"

"James," Lily started, her voice shaking but eyes fierce with determination, "there's no way anyone can be okay after that; there's no way anyone can be okay going through this war, but I don't want to live like this forever. Things have been happening over the past year, and I just want to live my life."

Lily was begging, something she hadn't done in a very long time, and James duly noted it. This was where he had gotten his hope from. If Lily was trying to play on his emotions, then he knew she was recovering. Just the fact that she flat out told him what had happened to her without prompting on his part let him rest a little easier at night. And truthfully, he wanted her back in the dorm; it wasn't the same without her. Everything seemed off balance, and if she could pull this off, Pomfrey might let her out.

"Can you get to the Willow, or do we need to come get you?" James finally asked.

Upon hearing those words, Lily's face broke out in a giant grin, the first one anyone had seen in weeks. She threw her arms around James and hugged him fiercely, smiling into his chest. The action had honestly surprised him, and he could only pat her back in response.

"Lil…" he tried but trailed off. "Flower, that was a serious question. You can't get caught."

"I know," Lily replied, turning back to face the rest of the room but continuing to lean back comfortably against James. "I know you're serious about this. And I also know that there's more than one way to become invisible.

"I suppose you already have your own plan worked out."

"Of course."

James sighed but wrapped his arms around Lily. It would be nice to have her back.

* * * * *

Lily pretended to be asleep when Madam Pomfrey moved Remus out of the Hospital Wing on the night of the full moon. She was horrible at the act when it came to the four boys, but the nurse seemed to buy it well enough. It was hard for Lily to lay there when she really wanted to be up, following them out, but she knew it would be too suspicious if she was found missing so soon. So she bid her time until the nurse came back, checked her out for the night, and retired back into her office. Only then did Lily slip out of the Wing to make her way to the Whomping Willow.

In the corridor, she performed a Chameleon Charm that would make her blend into any background. It was a rather simple charm that she had looked up in her first year at Hogwarts after hanging out with the Marauders for a month or two. She had started searching for something of the sort, thinking it would come in handy someday, and it sure had – like it was going to tonight.

It took Lily a few floors to stop nearly falling with every step, seeing as how she hadn't used her legs in almost a month, but the last floor was the fastest yet. Luckily, she didn't run into any teachers or the like, and she got out of the front doors of the Entrance Hall without any trouble.

As she got under the Willow, she let the charm wear off and changed into Prongsette. The giant tree immediately began to swing its branches everywhere, and just as the doe was about to touch the knot, the secret door opened to reveal Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail.

_They waited for me_, Prongsette thought as they all acknowledged her, and she joined them in the tunnel.

It was a quiet journey down to the Shrieking Shack, and the four animals found a human Remus sitting upon a torn up bed. He raised his head up from his hands and glanced over at them before returning to looking at the floor.

Prongs, Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongsette gathered around Remus offering what silent comfort they could before the moon's full power was upon him. Unfortunately, the silence didn't last long, for just as the first rays of the moon shone in through the tiny windows, Remus' body began to contort, and he cried out in pain. Soon enough, the cries turned to shrieks, and finally, there was a fifth animal in the little room.

The werewolf reared back when he saw the others and began to charge. Wormtail scampered into a corner to avoid the chaos, as the other three held their grounds. It seemed as though Moony was going to charge at Padfoot first, but he veered at the last moment and knocked Prongsette to the ground. Prongs and Padfoot immediately took up the fight to get the werewolf under control, and after a struggle of a few minutes, Moony seemed to recognize them and settle down.

"Let's sleep," his eyes told them so they all gathered around Moony and made themselves comfortable. Even Wormtail came out of hiding to lie down next to the other four and closed his eyes.

At first, there was tension coursing through the little room, but one by one, each animal managed to relax and somehow managed to sleep.

* * * * *

When Remus woke up the next morning, he found himself laying on a dirt floor surrounded by a stag, a doe, a large, black dog, and a rat. He almost started to laugh.

"I feel like I just slept the whole night through," he said out loud. "I didn't even wake up when I transformed back."

The sound of his voice jolted Prongs, Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongsette awake. At the sight of Remus in his human form, they quickly turned back into James, Sirus, Peter, and Lily. Remus laughed again at the four disoriented people in front of him.

"You guys should really get back to the castle, especially you, Lils, before Pomfrey comes to get me."

They nodded but looked confused.

"Why…how are you in such a good mood?" Sirus asked.

"I really don't know," Remus replied. "I didn't even feel myself transform back, and I'm not in any pain at all."

"What will you tell Pomfrey?" Peter questioned.

Remus shrugged. "I may not have to say anything. I beat myself up going into it, and somehow during the night, it seems."

James, Sirus, Peter, and Lily just looked at each other, somewhat guiltily, not wanting to tell Remus exactly what he had done at first the night before. They were never sure exactly what he remembered and didn't care to clue him in if they could help it.

"You guys really need to go," he repeated. "The sun's just about rising, and you know you can't be caught."

"We know, we know," Sirus muttered, leading the other three to the entrance. Once outside the room, he picked up James' invisibility cloak and threw it over himself, James, Peter, and Lily. They made their way through the corridors as quickly as was possible with the four of them under the cloak until they reached the entrance to the Hospital Wing.

"Make sure she doesn't catch you," James whispered, nudging Lily out from under the cloak.

Lily nodded. "Thanks, James." Then she slipped back into the Wing. Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight, thankfully, and Lily continued to climb into her bed and snuggled under the covers. She was tired and a little sore from when Moony had charged at Prongsette but happier and more at ease than she had been for a while.

Half an hour later, Lily was still wide-awake and therefore saw Madam Pomfrey come in with Remus. She glanced once at Lily before helping Remus into his bed and handing him a sleeping potion. As soon as she was sure that the drought was having its intended effects, Madam Pomfrey closed the curtain around his bed then turned to Lily.

"And where were you last night?" she demanded.

Lily's insides tied up in knots as she knew she was caught. No wonder she had no problems sneaking back in that morning: Madam Pomfrey had already left to retrieve Remus.

Madam Pomfrey almost chuckled at the shocked look on Lily's face. She wanted to because it was rare to catch this bright student off guard, but she needed to convey the seriousness of what the Gryffindor had done.

"Miss Evans, I check on you every night. Since around two I have known that you were missing, and I am hoping that you have a _very_ good reason for not being in this Wing all night." She looked at Lily expectantly.

"I'm sorry, Madam Pomfrey. I'm just… I'm so tired of being in here. I've been laying in bed for almost a month; I miss my friends, and I've missed so many of my classes."

"Your professors understand," Madam Pomfrey interjected.

"I'm tired of drinking sleeping potions every night and being watched every day."

"This is the same argument that you've given me for the past week, Miss Evans. Where were you?"

"In my dorm. I felt better in there; I need to go back."

Madam Pomfrey sighed and began to give Lily her daily check up, talking all the while.

"Miss Evans, I understand that you are bored, but you have to understand that we need to make sure that you are completely recovered before we release you."

"Please…"

"But," Madam Pomfrey ignored the interruption, "I can probably let you go when Mr. Lupin leaves – if I get it cleared with the Headmaster."

Lily's eyes flew wide open, and she threw her arms around the matron. Madam Pomfrey looked taken aback but smiled while patting the younger girl on the back. The best part of her job was seeing the most broken individuals heal.


	41. Holiday Invitations

**Overprotected**

Chapter 41: Holiday Invitations

"I want you to come home with me for Christmas," James said to Lily one night in the middle of December while she was doing her homework.

"Only if your mum invites me," Lily replied, not even looking up from the textbook she was searching through. "And I don't want you to write to her asking for an invitation; she has to write on her own."

"Lucky for you, Flower, she already has." James waved a piece of parchment in front of Lily's face, causing her to finally look up.

Lily snatched the letter out of his hand and quickly read it through, chuckling at some points. When she was finished, she handed the parchment back to James before going back to her work.

"Very cute," she said, referring to some of the things June Potter had written to her son. "But I could always just stay here."

"Are you out of your mind?" James exclaimed. "She's practically begging for you to come, or did you not read it very well? She told me to drag you home if you wouldn't come."

"I was joking, James," Lily said dryly. "There's no reason why I would stay here, and there's nowhere else for me to go."

James calmed down in a matter of seconds and looked over at Lily. She had finally stopped her work and was waiting for him to say something more, her deep green eyes looking more doe-like than ever. With that single glance, James was reminded of everything that had happened in the past month and past year, and he remembered just how innocent and fragile Lily was. In the few weeks she had been out of the Hospital Wing after her second encounter with Lucius Malfor, Lily had thrown herself whole-heartedly back into her schoolwork, partially to catch up on everything she had missed, but mainly, James and the other three Marauders knew, to push down the memories that constantly threatened to overwhelm her. Lily was not an infrequent visitor to one of the Marauders' beds because she couldn't sleep, and on the nights that she stayed in her own room, one of the four boys would end up waking up because of her whimpers and screams then sit with her comforting her repressed fears. She tried to be so strong all of the time, but the out façade was just a clever ploy to hide her pain, something the four boys had grown accustomed to but still had to occasionally remind themselves of.

"Merlin, I'm sorry, Lily," James mumbled, the words tripping over one another as he sat down next to her. "I – I wasn't thinking."

Lily gave him one last doe-eyed stare before responding. "Don't worry about it, James. I was just teasing you. Of course I'll come home with you for Christmas. I even already have presents for your parents. I'm really looking forward to seeing them again. It feels like forever."

James and Lily did their best to make light small-talk about the upcoming holidays for a while, and Sirus even joined them when he entered the Common Room. However, the underlying sadness and pain wouldn't be expelled from the area for the rest of the night. The three Gryffindors discussed their cheerful winter plans, putting on a air of happiness and carefree joy, but at the back of each other their minds was the fain traces and lingering memories of their past trials. It was a feeling that they each hoped would be dispelled before the holidays began in earnest.

* * * * *

Thankfully, the mood was past long before the holidays had their official start. By the time James, Sirus, and Lily got off of the Hogwarts Express to meet James' mum, all remnants of the conversation had been brushed from their minds.

June Potter swept all three of her kids up into her arms as soon as she saw them and held them close. Regardless that they were sixth years and often felt themselves too old for such blatant displays of public affection, the three did not pull away from the embrace, relishing the feeling of safety and love that seemed so few and far between.

After what seemed like hours but also much too soon, June stepped back to examine the three young adults standing expectantly before her. Of course, she had been informed of Lily's most recent encounter by both the Headmaster and her son, and her gaze lingered longer on the younger girl than the two boys, taking in her countenance, her hollow cheeks, the dark spots under her eyes. All of it made her heart wring for the newest member of her ever-growing family.

Lily felt the lingering appraisal, and it was quickly noted by both James and Sirus, who tried to come up with conversation as fast as possible. James was the more successful of the two.

"Is Dad at work?" he asked.

Mrs. Potter's attention was diverted momentarily. Lily almost let out an audible sigh. It was inevitable that she would end up confiding in Mrs. Potter some time during their break, she just needed a little more time before she was ready to face everything once more.

"Yes," James' mum answered. "I switched my schedule so that I would be able to come to pick you three up, but I told your father that there was no need for him to do the same. He's actually working late today, but he's very excited to have all of you home again."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Sirus asked cheerily. "Let's go!"

The whole party smiled simultaneously and headed for the Potters' car. Per usual, they all chattered amiably about the first few months until Lily then Sirus drifted off to sleep in the back, leaving James and his mum awake in the front. James shifted uncomfortably as he realized Sirus was no longer fidgeting behind him and waited for his mother to begin.

"It really will be nice to have you back, dear," she began. "I love your father, but the house is just so quiet with no one setting anything on fire or planning Merlin knows what into the wee hours of the morning."

"It's nice to be home, too, Mum. I think a break will be good for all of us." June noticed her son's eyes shift quickly to the rearview mirror where, she was sure, he could see Lily sleeping.

"How bad was it?" Mrs. Potter asked quietly. "Of course, Albus wrote, as did Poppy, but reports aren't the whole picture."

James closed his eyes and began to breathe shallowly as his face contorted in pain.

"It was the worst thing I've ever witnessed," he replied slowly, "and I wasn't even dealing with the physical pain. She was out for a week and in the Hospital Wing for two and a half after that. We sat with her everyday until classes or Madam Pomfrey kicked us out. There were days I didn't want to come back just because it hurt me so much, but I knew Lily was in unimaginable pain; we had to be strong for her – and for each other. It was horrible, Mum.

"And on top of everything, they lied to us. They said treating her for hypothermia was their prime concern. They weren't even planning on telling us that she had been tortured with an Unforgivable Curse. I overheard Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore talking about it one night. I think Remus guessed that because he was angry days before I was – but that doesn't help any."

"Poppy wrote to me about that. She said she was trying to protect you, trying to make you worry less. Not that that makes it alright or that she should have hidden the truth from you."

"I love her, Mum." James looked over at his mother after glancing in the rearview mirror once more, and June saw the same fiercely protective look in her son's eyes that she had so often witnessed in her husband's. It made her proud, and she reached over to take James' hand, squeezing it in the reassuring manner that only mothers seem to know how to accomplish.

"I know, James. I know. And she knows, too. I'm very proud of you."

Mother and son spent the remainder of the drive engaged in much more pleasant conversation. All tension form the uneasiness of the previous talk had disappeared by the time James leaned back to wake up Sirus and Lily, and the three students at once breathed easier, knowing they were home.

It was dark by the time the four climbed out of the car and took all of their luggage inside. Harold Potter wasn't scheduled to arrive home until at least ten, so the two blood Potters and two adopted Potters got themselves something to eat, settled themselves in, and relished in the feeling of being home together once more.


	42. Cassie and Sirus

**Overprotected**

Chapter 42: Cassie and Sirus

"Sirus, a letter came for you!" Lily called from the kitchen one morning. Normally, she would have just brought it to him, but she wasn't actually sure where to find him. Usually, he and James would still be sleeping in James' room, but this morning, they were absent, as Lily had noted when she checked before going downstairs.

"I think it's from Cassie!" she tried once more.

"Don't waste your breath, Lily dear," Mrs. Potter said kindly, passing through the kitchen as she was getting ready to leave for the Ministry of Magic. "They're out back."

Lily grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, Mum-P."

"I'll be home a little late tonight," Mrs. Potter continued as Lily followed her towards the fireplace in the next room. "Let James and Sirus know, won't you, dear?"

Lily nodded as the two witches embraced before Mrs. Potter threw a handful of green floo powder into the orange flames, stepped into the dancing green fire, and disappeared. As she was turning to go outside, Lily's eyes fell upon the sheet of parchment that was sitting on the mantle above the fireplace. Christmas had been a few days ago, and although she had come up with clever gifts for everyone on her list, Lily was most pleased with the one for her surrogate mother. She had charmed two pieces of parchment so that whatever was written on one showed up on the other – much the same system that she had rigged up between the boys and Cassie. The parchment here had a white Snow Lily attached that would flash different colors when a message arrived based on the urgency of the message. Both of the Potters had praised her highly, but Lily knew that Mrs. Potter was most grateful for the contact she could keep with the Gryffindor Tower.

The smile that had been on Mrs. Potter's face throughout Christmas day was all the thanks Lily had needed, and she was just thankful that the older witch had not connected the flower with Lily's most recent stay in the Hospital Wing.

Pushing the memories down, Lily left the house, heading for the woods behind it. She shivered sharply as a gust of icy wind hit her body then looked down, remembering that she hadn't actually changed out of her pajamas yet today. However, the next minute she was under the protective covering of the trees and changed quickly into Prongsette.

Immediately, the doe flicked her head to the left as she picked up the scent of a buck and a dog. Their images passed through her mind, and she set off, following the trail of their scent. After about five minutes, she came to a little clearing in the woods and stopped at the edge of the trees. She must have been upwind because Prongs and Padfoot stopped their play and began to scan the surrounding area. Prongs noticed Prongsette first and nudged Padfoot, indicating the doe with a twist of his head. The two males acknowledged the doe with a dip of their heads and were at her side in a matter of seconds.

"Are you okay, Lily?" James asked, searching the doe's face for any sign of distress. Both he and Sirus had changed back immediately.

Prongsette took a little longer to change back into her human form, as if the time she took could convince the boys that nothing was the matter.

"Lily? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, James," she replied. "Your mum said you had headed out here so I came to find you. It's unusual for either one of you to be up so early."

"We haven't gotten to run around like that for a while," Sirus explained with a goofy grin on his face. "I had actually thought Mum-P was gone already."

Lily shook her head. "She was just leaving as I came into the kitchen, which reminds me: a letter came for you this morning, Sirus."

The boy in question raised his eyebrows as Lily continued.

"It's on the table, in the kitchen. I think it's from Cassie. It looked like her owl."

"Hmmm," was all that Sirus would mumble, and he was cut off from possibly saying anything more by Lily shivering once more as another gust blew through the clearing.

At once, the two boys seemed to notice that Lily was only in her pajamas, and Lily noticed how bundled up both James and Sirus were. Before she could protest and almost before she could register her last thought, James had swept Lily off of her feet and cradling her in his arms, once more to keep her warm. As if one mind, the two boys simultaneously headed back to the house.

"Let's go see that letter of yours, Sirus," James said amiably, trying to make no mention of Lily's inadequate dress. Both Sirus and Lily gave him a look that clearly said they knew what he was playing at and if he wanted to say something to just say it already. James sighed. "You're crazy, you know that, Flower? It _is_ the end of December. You shouldn't be out in just your pajamas."

Lily didn't respond, instead choosing to glance over at Sirus and roll her eyes before turning back to James. He pulled her closer as soon as he had her attention once more and then leaned his head down towards hers.

"What did Cassie want, Lily-Flower?" Sirus cut in suddenly, not liking where James was going.

"I don't know, Sirus," Lily replied after a few seconds, turning her head to face him. "I didn't read it. She clearly marked it for you."

By this time, the three had arrived back at the house, and not a moment too soon. Lily's teeth had started to chatter only seconds before they had entered the abode, her lips were tinted a pale blue, and even the sudden gush of warmth made her body shake. As Sirus went to fetch his post, James dumped Lily in front of the fire and knelt down to build up the already strong embers.

"She wants to get together with her in Diagon Alley in a couple of days," Sirus called from the next room.

"Merlin, how many times does that girl go there?" James asked as Sirus stuck his head out from the kitchen. "We've already all gone at her invitation, and aren't you meeting her there soon, Flower?"

"She must just be making her rounds," Sirus said with a smile. "Don't worry; you're obviously next, James. Speaking of that, she says to remind you, Lily-Flower, that you're supposed to meet her there later today. As if you would forget."

Sirus grinned affectionately at Lily who smiled back, but in the back of her mind, she was making a mental note to drill Cassie about what was going on between her friend and Sirus Black.

* * * * *

Lily and Cassie had walked up and down Diagon Alley for nearly two hours, and now they were seated outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor leisurely enjoying their sundaes. There wasn't much news for them to catch up on, seeing as they had talked only a few days ago, but Cassie had asked persistent questions about James, many of which Lily wanted to refuse an answer. However, the younger girl's silence only led to her friend's assumption, which Cassie knew would cause Lily to relinquish the most answers. So despite her protests, Lily had told Cassie all about her stay with James and the fact that the two of them were becoming closer than ever – even under Sirus' watchful eye.

"But what about you and Sirus?" Lily finally asked, wanting not only to get the spotlight off of herself but wanting answers to some of her more pressing questions. "He got your letter today."

"I know," Cassie replied, maintaining an air of nonchalant. "And he wrote back, too, saying he would meet me. What do you want me to say, Lils?" Cassie exclaimed as Lily gave her a long side-ways glance.

"You fancy him, don't you?" Lily asked, finally returning to her ice cream. Even if it was December, it was never too cold for this treat. Besides, there would be piping hot coco when she returned to the Potters' and a crackling fire.

"If you must know, I'm doing this for you and James. I'm giving you a day without Sirus breathing down your necks like an overprotective brother. We're grabbing a bite to eat early and then seeing an afternoon movie, then probably coming back here or to my house – my parents are interested to meet the white sheep of the Black family. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure both Mr. and Mrs. Potter are working late that day so you and James should have a decent block of time to yourselves."

Patiently, Cassie waited for Lily to reply, but the only response she got was the faint blush that rose on the Gryffindor's cheeks. Cassie remained silent for another minute before continuing somewhat even more matter-of-fact.

"But if you are really interested, Sirus is a decent bloke. After James, there aren't many better. I have fun with him, and he seems to enjoy spending time with me. Besides," Cassie added quickly, glancing at the smirk that was slowly spreading across Lily's face, "it'll be so much easier for you and James if Sirus is occupied elsewhere."

"Of course you're just thinking of us," Lily said with mock solemnity.

"Of course," Cassie agreed faintly, and Lily was pleased to see the fain trace of a blush across the Ravenclaw's face for once.


	43. The Evanses Revealed

**Overprotected**

Chapter 43: The Evanses Revealed

Life back at Hogwarts flowed smoothly after everyone returned from their breaks – as smoothly as could be expected anyway. The sixth years were enjoying the lull of a year after OWLs but before NEWTs, and even though the professors were still bogging them down with homework and the looming thoughts of careers, things had pretty much fallen into an acceptable routine.

That wasn't to say that everything was perfect. Sirus and Regulus seemed to have at least bi-weekly run-ins, most often landing both Sirus and James in detention. The Marauders, as a whole, were constantly caught roaming the corridors after hours – something they would never let Lily in on. At times, it seemed that the group was on the verge of disbanding, with Peter missing so often, Sirus being off with Cassie not infrequently, and James attempting to become an even more permanent fixture in Lily's life. Severus Snape was still trying his best to make Remus' experiences in potions class as painful as possible, although he never resorted to the low blows he had pulled at the beginning of the year.

All things aside, the five Gryffindors slid back easily into life at Hogwarts and accepted what it had to offer. A sense of peace and security once more fell over the castle, and at times, it was eve almost possible to forget about the war building outside of those four stone walls.

Lily was in her own little world one morning in early spring contemplating that very fact when a barn owl landed in front of her. Understandably, she was surprised, the Potters being her only correspondents these days and not recognizing it as one of their owls. There was always the possibility of its being an owl from the Ministry of Magic, but there wasn't really any feasible reason they would be writing to her either.

Slowly, Lily untied the white envelope from the owl's leg and then proceeded to open it with a confused look plastered on her face. The look only deepened as she drew a thank you card out of the envelope.

"What is it?" Sirus, who was sitting directly across from her, asked. The other three boys gathered closer.

"I don't know," Lily replied, her voice hitching in her throat. She hadn't done anything lately that much required thanks, much less on Muggle stationary. However, as soon as she flipped it open, Lily didn't have to read very far down to gather the nature of the sentiments – or the identity of the sender.

_Dear Freak,_ it read.

_I'm sure you're probably wondering why on earth I've sent you this. Lord only knows you've only made my life hell recently, which deserves no thanks. However, I would like to thank you for not attending my wedding – although, seeing as you weren't on the guest list, I really should be thanking Vernon and myself._

_We had a nice, __normal __wedding two weeks ago, just as Mum and I had been planning. Unfortunately, because of you and your little freak world, neither Mum nor Dad, nor even Luke, were here to see this normal celebration. And it was normal, without your freak tendencies and general freakiness, we had the perfect, normal evening._

_Almost perfect, I should say because no amount of your staying away could make up for the fact that Mum, Dad, and Luke couldn't be here. And you know why, Freak? Because they're dead! Because you and your freak magic killed them. Thanks a lot for ruining my perfect day. You've never let me have anything I wanted so you had to ruin this for me, too, you stupid brat! Thanks for nothing._

_This is the last you will ever hear from me, and this is the last time I want to be even slightly connected to you. I am now a Dursley, and I don't have a younger sister. Do what you wanted with your life, and if your freak magic ends up killing you someday, you just better not leave me with your freak child._

_Don't stay in touch. Don't you even dare respond to this._

_Petunia Dursley._

Lily's face had become more ashen with each line she read, and by the end of the letter, she was as pale as the sheet upon which it was written. After glancing briefly at the signature, the card fell out of her hands, only to be picked up by James as he and Peter finished reading. She buried her head in her arms and refused to look up. James eventually put his arms around her when he passed the note to Sirus and Remus for them to read so that they, too, could understand.

"What's this, Flower?" James asked gently, trying to get Lily to look at him. "Your sister? She has to be joking."

"I wish," Lily moaned, still not lifting her head. "I really wish it wasn't true, but she means every word."

"She thinks you killed her parents!" Remus exclaimed, having just concluded his reading. "That's not even logical!"

"Petunia doesn't function based on logic. She needs a scapegoat."

"What's going on here, Lily? There's something you haven't told us."

"Every Marauder has a secret remember, James? Mine is my horrible family." Lily finally looked up and glanced apologetically at Sirus. "Granted, they're not as bad as Sirus', but mine's terrible in its own way."

"Do you want to tell us about it?"

Lily looked straight into James' eyes for a long moment then glanced over the other three Marauders. It seemed like they were all holding their breaths waiting for her to answer.

"Yes," she finally said after taking a deep breath. "But after Potions. We have class in ten minutes."

As Lily stood up, the four boys quickly glanced at one another, before following her out of the Great Hall. The same thoughts were running through all of their heads. Questions as to what Lily was referring to, how her family was horrible – but in a different way than Sirus' (a family they knew quite well), and why they were only finding this out now. Luke had never seemed distressed about home, but then again, none of them could particularly recall anything either one of the Evans had said pertaining their family.

In the end, it was lunch time before Lily had the chance to properly explain about her family. The four boys had pressured her all the way from Professor Slughorn's classroom in the dungeons to Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration room, but she put them off continuously. There were too many people in the corridors. She didn't feel comfortable explaining it where the wrong people could overhear. Then finally there just wasn't enough time for the entire tale (and it was not possible to break it up at any point).

"During lunch then," was all that Lily would respond as the five Gryffindors walked into Professor McGonagall's classroom. "As long as we're in the dorm."

Lily was distracted all throughout Transfiguration. When the professor called on her usually bright student, Peter had to "accidentially" fall out of his chair to give James time to snap Lily out of her thoughts and repeat the question to her. Then she was severely reprimanded by the professor when she set her quill on fire instead of transforming it into a mouse. Then possible even worse (at least from Lily's point of view), she almost lost points from Gryffindor for having to be reminded at least a handful of times to place her mouse on Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Miss Evans, please see me once class if over," Professor McGonagall called over the bell dismissing the castle to lunch.

"We'll be in the dorm," James reminded her as the boys packed up their things and headed to the door. "Sirus and Peter will stop by the Kitchens to get us something to eat, so don't worry about going by the Great Hall first. Just come right to the Tower."

Lily nodded wordlessly on her way to the front of the room. As she passed him, Remus squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We're only a call away, if you need us," he mumbled to her, seeing the distraught look on her face. Lily didn't bother reminding him that she hadn't charmed her animals so that she could call the boys at any time; only they could contact her or one another.

Professor McGonagall waited until all of the students had left her room before she began to speak.

"Your performance today in class, Miss Evans, was rather sub-par, I have to say. I realize that sometimes everyone has their off days, but this was rather extreme. I'm disappointed in you, Lily."

"I'm sorry, professor." Lily hung her head in shame. "I was…distracted."

For a minute, Professor McGonagall seemed to study the student standing before her, her eyes searching the young girl's face deeply. It only took a few seconds for Lily to realize what Professor McGonagall was looking for.

"I'm fine, professor. Really. My mind's just…not here right now. It won't happen again."

Professor McGonagall still searched Lily's face, skeptic of what her student was saying.

"Are you quite sure?"

"Yes, professor. I'm fine."

"All the same, if you ever need to talk, no matter the subject, my door is always open. As is the Headmaster's and Madam Pomfrey's. We are all at your disposal any time you may need us."

"Thank you, professor," Lily replied, quickly edging toward the door as discreetly as she could. "If I could go now? My friends are expecting me."

"Very well." Professor McGonagall nodded curtly. "Good day, Miss Evans."

"Good day, professor," Lily called back as she quickly gathered up her books and then rushed out of the classroom.

It wasn't that she had a great desire to explain her family to the four Marauders, but being alone with the Deputy Headmistress always brought back painful memories of the countless hours she had spent with the older woman the year before, first after the deaths of her parents, then after the death of her brother. Even though a year had passed since those horrible events, the memories still had a powerful hold on Lily. It still took all of her strength for her not to crumple up on the floor and repeat the scene where James had found her all of those months ago.

However much Lily wanted to delay her return to the Gryffindor Tower, she knew that if she lingered too much longer, the boys would worry and then set out to find her. While she still hadn't made herself reappear on the Marauder's Map, she was in a well-known area of the castle, and the boys would know immediately where to find her. So she quickened her pace, and before long, she was in front of the Fat Lady and was admitted into the Gryffindor Common Room upon giving the password.

As soon as they heard the portrait hold swing open, the four boys stood in anticipation. The Common Room was empty, but as Lily walked over to the couches where they had been seated, James grabbed her hand and pulled her up tot the Marauders' dormitory. Sirus and Peter, it seemed, had already collected armfuls of food from the Kitchens, and it was lying on their beds, almost as if it too was waiting expectantly for Lily's tale.

Each of the five sixth years made up a plate and seated themselves on various pieces of furniture around the room. James tried to pull Lily comfortably onto his bed next to him, but she opted, instead, to sit next to Sirus as he perched upon his trunk. No one spoke for a few minutes, and the almost inaudible sound of chewing was the only noise in the dormitory as each Gryffindor wondered who would be the first to break the silence.

"So," Peter started nervously as Lily closed her eyes and took a shallow breath. As the quiet rush of air, Peter immediately cut himself off and waited for Lily to continue.

"I'm not really sure how to start," Lily said shakily, running a hand through her hair. "You saw the letter from my sister this morning. She's the middle child, in between me and Luke – the only one of us who isn't magical in the least little bit.

"When Luke got his Hogwarts letter, we were thrilled. Mum and Dad were shocked – and rather skeptic – at first, but Professor Dumbledore – before he was made Headmaster – he came to our house and explained everything. My parents were so proud, and our first trip to Diagon Alley had both me and Petunia enraptured.

"Luke was amazing from the start, and when he could get away with it, he would show us some of the magic he could perform – turning teacups into toadstools – and he always brought home from spawn or rats' liver just to gross out me and Petty.

"My sister was disappointed, to say the least, when she turned eleven and no invitation arrived for her. She even wrote to the Headmaster, asking if hers hadn't, perhaps, been forgotten or lost. It hadn't, but she calmed herself with the thought that Luke was the special one and the two of us would just bask in his favor and be showered with his magical affection forever."

Lily paused here and ran another shaking hand through her hair. She kept staring at the same faded Potion's stain on the hem of her robes and willed her voice to stop trembling. Sirus' thoughts kept telling him to comfort the girl sitting next to him, but his mind would not will his body to move. It was as if he couldn't believe that she had compared her normal Muggle family to his horrible magical one, and therefore could not force himself to comfort her. The other three boys just continued to watch Lily, not even bothering to guess how her family had gotten from this simple picture to the non-existent one that they had seen before them this morning.

"I wish it had stayed that way," Lily finally continued. "I wish I had the foresight to go to Dumbledore and tell him that I didn't want any part of this magic business."

Every voice inside of the minds of the four boys was calling out in protest to the words Lily was uttering, but they couldn't make themselves speak. Instead, they remained transfixed, only wondering how this bright witch could ever wish she had never known magic.

"When I turned ten, we had another magical visitor at our house. This time it was Professor McGonagall – Dumbledore having been made Headmaster after Dippet retired. Of course, we all knew who she was; Luke was writing to us, almost daily it seemed, and we felt that we knew the ins and outs of Hogwarts just as well as he did. Anyway, she was the one who told us that I was going to be invited to Hogwarts, a year early, as it turned out. We hadn't known it at that point, but I had been doing magic. It was mostly when Luke was around so everyone wrote it off to his doings. But it had gotten to the point where they wanted to teach me to control it before it became harmful.

"Mum and Dad were so proud to now have a witch in the family, and it was all they would talk about. Luke was shocked, to say the least, and he couldn't wait for me to start so that we could share experiences. I expected that Petty would be pleased, too; after all, she loved Diagon Alley, and now she had even more chances to go back.

"I couldn't have been more wrong. She stormed out of the room in the middle of McGonagall's visit. She didn't speak to me for two weeks then as summer progressed, we got into arguments all of the time. If you think the thank you note was bad, you should have heard some of the things she used to hurl at me. But only when we were alone. She never let my parents in on it, and Luke wouldn't have known except that she had started yelling once before he was fully out of the house. Ever since then, he's been trying to piece out family back together,…well, I suppose there's not much left to piece back together anymore…

"But, I went off to school, and my parents were still proud beyond belief. But Petty had them all to herself, and she began to play the forgotten middle child card, drawing their focus from myself to her. She would never let Luke be forgotten because she still looked up to him, but I was thrown to the dogs.

"My parents still loved me, I know, but they began to overlook me, and soon they didn't even notice if I was in the house or at Hogwarts.

"I stopped going home for holidays; I still sent them gifts, but I couldn't stand to see Petunia's gloating face. Luke was furious when he found out. I'm not even sure how he found out. I think he came looking for me one Christmas or something only to have Petunia tell him that I hadn't been home for holidays in a year. That's when I started going home with him for Christmas and Easter. And even worse, they never even knew; they thought I was staying at Hogwarts.

"When Luke got his own flat, I think it was the summer I skipped a year, I started to go over there whenever I could. At first, I made up excuses – I needed help with my homework, he had people he wanted me to meet – but then I realized that they barely realized that I was gone. I began to stay over for a night, then a night turned into a week, and sometimes almost a month.

"That's when Luke would put his foot down and make me go back. At first, anyway. Eventually, I guess, he realized that I wasn't exaggerating, and he let me say indefinitely. He used to be the one who would pick me up from King's Cross and drop me off because Petunia would make sure that my parents were otherwise engaged those mornings.

"He never stopped trying to reconcile us though. He would write to me monthly, it seemed, that Mum was out of sorts because I hadn't written recently. So I would always dash off a letter right away, owl it to them, then write an angry letter to Luke when I realized he was making it up. The reply from my mum was always the same: 'I'm not out of sorts, Lily. Look what's happening in Petunia's life. Your father recently did this in work. I've got to go; Petunia's calling. Love Mum'. Then there'd be a post script from my sister telling me that I'm wasting my time and Mum's too busy with her to bother with me."  
Lily shook her head then continued to play absentmindedly with her hair. She wasn't crying, the boys were surprised to see, and she didn't even sound angry. Instead, she was using the same hopeless and disappointed tone that Sirus often used when describing his family. Only Lily, it seemed, had reached a level of recognition of the separation that not even Sirus had come to embrace yet.

"I've kept all of them, every single one. Don't ask me why." She threw her hands up in the air, almost hitting Sirus, who she forgot was in such close proximity. After only a second, she lowered them in defeat. "I guess I just keep hoping that the next one would be different."

The boys waited while Lily was silent for a few minutes. They each waited tensely, wondering if there was anymore or if the story was completely played out. Finally, Sirus broke the eerie quiet.

"Is there more?" he asked. Out of all of the Marauders, Sirus undeniably had the worst family situation – having been disinherited nearly two years prior, but even he found this tale horrible to listen to. At least his family openly acknowledged that they didn't want him, and while it was still, at times, a bit difficult to come to terms with not being part of a family (no matter how much the Potters welcomed him into theirs), how much worse must it be to be part of a family who didn't realize that they were cutting you off.

Lily gave a dry, short laugh. "Well, then we come to last year when I stayed here for Christmas because Luke said he was going to come visit me – instead of my staying with him. I was anxious, and he found me outside where I had been waiting. That's the night he told me that our parents died."

"Is that when he came to get us with Dumbledore?" James asked.

"No, that was a few nights later," Lily replied somewhat hesitantly.

"What exactly did happen that night?" Sirus questioned, fixing his gaze on Lily.

"Um, well," Lily began, still not really wanting to talk about that night, "I sort of ran away from Luke into the Forbidden Forest." She quickly continued at the startled looks on the faces of all four boys. "I couldn't take it anymore. We were just sitting in the Tower – Luke felt guilty but was trying to be strong for me when I couldn't even mourn…so I ran. When he was asleep, I slipped out, changed into Prongsette, and ran into the Forest

"When Luke was still in school, he put up this magical barrier in the Forest which only allows humans to enter. It forces Animagi to change back into their human forms, I learned that night. Anyway, hours later, he found me there, I showed him Prongsette, and I guess I was worse off than I thought because all I remember is his talking to me, telling me to hang on, not to let go, to talk to him…

"We made it back to the castle, and I made him promise that he wouldn't take me to the Hospital Wing. He promised, and when we got back here, I fell asleep – or passed out, I'm not really sure which.

"But the next thing I remember is white when I woke up the next day. I panicked, and then it's blank until I was back in the Tower with the two of you."

Lily looked up at the four once more, almost asking with her eyes to be filled in with the rest of the night's experience. After a slight hesitation, James took up the tale.

"Your brother and Dumbledore showed up at my house that day and said that something was wrong, that you needed us. So we didn't think, just came back. There's not much else to it really," he trailed off hesitantly. "It was the same as always – the shock; we just tried to help you through it. I truthfully can't even remember what else happened that day, what happened afterwards. It was such a blur, just trying to get you back, Flower…"

Silence prevailed throughout the room as everyone made an attempt at the next statement. No one was immediately successful. However, it was James once again who, after five minutes of pure thought, ventured at the continuation of the topic.

"So the next couple of months, when everyone was watching you, you weren't morning the death of your parents as much as…" He let the sentence hang, not even sure if he had the right idea.

"…as the thought of a family I hadn't had for a while?" Lily finished tonelessly. "I was morning for Luke's sake because they were always parents to him? And for the fact that he was able to convince Petunia to stay away that night but not Mum and Dad? And then Luke died trying to prevent an attack on the castle – to protect me!"

The words seemed to be ripped agonizingly form Lily's mouth, and she burst into tears, burying her head in Sirus' chest. Despite his earlier inability to comfort her, he immediately put his arms around her and cradled her close.

"Lily, Lily," he murmured, stroking her hair, rocking her against his body, anything to calm the small girl in his arms.

"Petunia was right," Lily forced out between sobs, seemingly ignoring Sirus. "I did kill Luke! If it hadn't been for me, he would have never tried so hard against those Death Eaters or fought like he had nothing to lose! It is my fault!"

"Lily, look at me," Sirus said gently, tipping up the young girl's head to look him straight in the eye. Her emerald green eyes were stained red from the tears that we still leaking down her face. Not for the first time did Sirus notice how vulnerable and scared she looked, how all of the emotions that she hid from the professors, other students, and even the four Marauders were obviously still coursing, potent, just under the surface. "Lily-Flower, listen. You did not cause Luke's death. You did not cause this war. You did not cause the prejudice against amazing, talented people such as yourself. You did not send the orders for those Death Eaters to attack near Hogwarts.

"Luke fought and died because he loved you. You didn't make him love you. He chose to love you, love you so much that he was willing to lay down his life so that you wouldn't feel the heat of battle. He exchanged his life for yours – because he loves you. And he won't be the last person who's willing to die for you. All of us here would die a million times at the hand of Death Eaters just to watch you walk away unharmed. We love you, Lily-Flower, and I don't know how else to say it."

Lily opened her mouth as if to protest, or add a condition to Sirus' words, but he cut her off before she could even utter a single sound through her tears.

"We are not our families, Lily. How many times have you said it to me? Just because my family thinks blood is the only thing that matters doesn't mean that I have to believe that; just because your family saw you as unlovable doesn't mean that you are. We each choose our own actions: to love, to protect, to fight, and each one of us is responsible for what we do. You didn't kill your brother, and we will love you forever. There's a world more than ready to die for you. Don't blame yourself when they choose their actions. Even if the world consists of only the five of us."

Once more, Lily dissolved into tears, and all four boys rushed to embrace her.


	44. Writing on the Wall

**Overprotected**

Chapter 44: Writing on the Wall

"I am so glad it's summer," Sirus said one morning, stretching his arms over his head before digging into his breakfast.

"Sirus, you've been saying that every day for the past month," James replied wearily without looking up from his own food.

School had been out for about a month, as James had pointed out, and James, Sirus, and Lily found themselves once more at the Potters' house with an open invitation – or more of an expectation – to remain for the full summer holidays. Exams and the end of the year had passed without much more ado after Lily had told the four boys about her family. They had stuck even closer, if possible, to her side after that as if to just prove Sirus' words and show to her that she did have a family who loved her for her, for who she was.

Nothing more had seemed amiss within the group, or without of it. The War was still ragging throughout the wizarding world, but except for the occasional black owl from the Ministry informing a death, it was almost possible to forget the outside world within the comforting walls of Hogwarts.

Now that the year was over, James, Sirus, and Lily fell into their usual lazy summer habits of sleeping in and laying around for hours. Occasionally, the two boys would strike up a game of Quidditch as Lily would watch enthusiastically, or they would all force themselves to buckle down and get a start on their summer work – mostly at Lily's prompting. Today was a little unusual, however, seeing as all three were awake and functioning, sitting at the Potters' kitchen table in time to eat breakfast at the proper hour. Lily was sitting behind the day's addition of the Daily Profit, a half-eaten bowl of cereal forgotten in front of her. Mrs. Potter, after helping their House Elf make breakfast for the three, was flitting in and out of the kitchen, going about the usual morning tasks before she had to leave for a work (a later shift then to which she was accustom).

"Did you guys see this?" Lily asked, laying down the paper on the table open to one of the center pages. Mrs. Potter had just bid the three good-bye and had apperated to the Ministry of Magic. "Someone's been killed, but they have no clue who it is. Not only was the body found cursed repeatedly, but it was burned to the point where they couldn't even resort to using dental records to identify him. And there are so many people missing that they can't even narrow down the identity much using that method. 'At the time of death, he was wearing a metal tag that had started to melt, but the letters R.I.P. were still readable'," Lily quoted from the paper. "'The Dark Mark was found hovering over the body in an empty field.' Eerie."

"Whoever it was must have really ticked off the Death Eaters," Sirus added from across the table. Lily paused and looked up at him, curiosity written all over her face. "Usually, they just stick to killing you when they need to get rid of you," he explained. "If this person was tortured, killed, and burned, he must have done something significant. And they must not want anyone to know. It's not good."  
Lily didn't reply, instead stared absentmindedly out of the window to her left. A sharp tap on the glass nearly made her jump out of her skin, so unexpected as it was, and all three teenagers were surprised to see a small, mousy-brown owl hovering just outside of the room. James jumped up quickly to open the window, and the small bird flew quickly in, perching on the table. It held out its leg, and James obediently untied the roll of parchment attached there. Then without a moment's hesitation, the bird took off and disappeared into the distance.

James casually unrolled the post and read it to the other two.

"Sorry, guys, I can't come to Diagon Alley with you and Cassie tomorrow. Don't worry, it's just really not a good time for me."

When James laid down the parchment, Sirus and Lily could clearly see Peter's untidy scrawl sprawled across the page. The words appeared no less legible than usual; instead, it seemed that extra time had been afforded to make the letters as neat as possible – without the exaggeration of perfection.

"Wonder what he's up to," Sirus mused quietly. "No offence meant, but Peter isn't one who usually has a full schedule. Except when he goes on holiday out of the country, and I didn't think that was until next month."

"I guess it's just the three of us meting Cassie tomorrow then," Lily thought out loud. "With Peter and his business and the full moon only days away incapacitating Remus."

"They'll be with us soon, Flower. Don't worry," James soothed. "My mum said they could come stay next month like usual; I'll send them both an owl tomorrow. And they'll come supply shopping in August. Besides, you like hanging out with me, Sirus, and Cassie. I mean, we did it loads over the breaks."

"I didn't say that I don't want to go with you, James," Lily replied patiently, trying not to laugh at his over-eager babble. "I just like when we all spend time together."  
James looked sheepishly at the floor for a moment, and Lily did finally laugh. Sirus, however, was staring vaguely into the next room. It seemed as though he hadn't even heard the exchange, and his eyes looked as though they were getting ready to glaze over.

"Why am I getting the feeling that this is shaping up to be a double date," he mused quietly, seemingly not aware that words were coming out of his mouth.

"It's only one if you and Cassie make it one," Lily replied with a light smile on her face. "James and I aren't together."

"You may as well be," he muttered darkly in return.

"So then we have your permission," James cut in, trying to sound nonchalant. He posed it as a statement rather than a question.

"NO!" Sirus all but screamed out the answer making both James and Lily nearly jump out of their chairs. "Don't push it, mate. You may be my brother, but that doesn't mean I can't pommel you something awful."

"You know it's going to happen eventually, Sirus. Why do you keep fighting fate?"

"Fate, James, really? Isn't that going a bit far? I've left you alone recently about this – I promised Cassie and besides, we've been off a lot. But don't push it."

James was about to reply as Lily, blushing as red as her auburn hair, cut him off.

"So Sirus, what _is_ between you and Cassie? Have you made it official yet?"

Surprise evident on his face, Sirus turned suddenly in Lily's direction. At his pause, Lily watched him closely as he appeared to stumble for words. She even thought she saw the very faint traces of a blush on his cheeks.

"She's a great person, and I do like spending time with her," he replied evasively.

"If I wanted Cassie's view on the subject, I would have asked _her_," Lily stated flatly. "What's _your_ opinion Sirus?"

"I really don't know what to tell you, Lily-Flower," he said in a defeated tone. "Really," he added, glimpsing the incredulous look on her face. "Cassie's been taking the lead on this; she sets everything up. I'm just not objecting."

"Have you kissed her?" Lily asked in the same flat, no nonsense voice.

Sirus looked Lily directly in the eyes. This time, he did not blush, he did not apologize, simply answered the question in one word.

"Yes."

"And you're still confused? She fancies you; you fancy her. You've kissed. I'd venture to say that you're together."

For a minute or two, Sirus didn't reply. His eyes glazed over as he stared at the ceiling above Lily's head, lost in thought. Cautiously, Lily glanced over to James and saw confusion and wariness etched into his own features.

"I haven't dated in a long time, Lil, you know that," Sirus said suddenly, breaking off James and Lily's silent conversation. "I've stopped trying to keep up with the rumor mill at Hogwarts. It was fun first and second year, but life's just gotten complicated since then – I'm sure you understand that."

"Sirus, I – " Lily tried but was cut off before she could even get out a sentence. Sirus didn't even seem to have heard her.

"But you would think I would know by now." He stood up abruptly and moved away from the table. "I suppose we'll just find out tomorrow."

Speechless, James and Lily watched Sirus walk out of the room without another word to either of them. For a minute, neither knew what to say, so shocked as they were by their friend's behavior. They were used to his concealed bitterness over his family, but never had it occurred to them that something else could be lurking under the surface. Even James, as close as a brother, hadn't had the slightest inkling that Sirus had been holding this down.

"I'm worried about him," James finally said quietly. "I never would have guessed this was bothering him."

"Cassie would be good for him," Lily mused, lost in her own thoughts and not even really bothering to continue down the path of thought James had begun. "I mean, of course, they'd be good for one another, but he's right, he's been caught in the middle of too many things for too long. She takes him away and helps him forget for a while. And they're both so much happier afterwards."

James could only sit in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, he did speak, but he could only mirror Sirus' words before he had disappeared.

"I suppose we'll just have to find out tomorrow."

* * * * *

It was just getting dark as James, Sirus, Lily, and Cassie were finishing up in Diagon Alley the next day. The trip, on the whole, had gone well – by Lily's standards anyway. At the least, Sirus and Cassie had finally made public (albeit only to James and Lily) their standings with one another, and even now they were holding hands with their fingers loosely entwined. James and Lily had tried to hang back a little bit the whole day to give them some space, but Sirus had, not surprisingly, made sure to keep the pair in his sight for the entirety of the trip.

As it was, the shadows were lengthening, and the four were standing in front of the fireplace in the back of the Leaky Cauldron preparing themselves to go home. However, it was taking longer than usual for the group to split themselves up, even though three of them would be apart for mere seconds.

"You may as well come home with us for the night, Cassie," Lily laughed. "Since we're having such luck with your leaving as it is."

Cassie smiled and laughed along with the younger girl.

"You have no clue how tempting that offer is, Lils," she replied blithely, "but my grandparents are coming for dinner, and Mum's going to be batty as it is."

Finally making the concrete decision to actually go, Cassie hugged Lily tightly, then moved on to the two boys, lingering slightly longer on Sirus. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips then stepped into the already green flames.

"We'll have to do this again when Remus and Peter are free."

The other three gave their consent as Cassie disappeared into the dancing fire. As soon as she was gone, Sirus angled in so that they now formed a triangle instead of an open box.

"Well, I guess there's not much reason for us to linger around here any longer," Sirus said lightly, clapping his hands together.

Lily raised her eyebrows as James just smiled knowingly.

"Let's get going them," he said, motioning with his hands for Sirus to lead the way.

The other boy obliged and stepped into the green flames. With as few words as were necessary, he disappeared, and James threw a handful of green floo powder into the fire to follow.

"See you in a few," he murmured, disappearing also.

Lily quickly followed suite, throwing a handful of powder into the fireplace, anxious not to give the two boys any reason to worry. Clearly, she called out the Potters' address and let the familiar rushing sensation overwhelm her.

When her senses stopped spinning, Lily realized she had fallen out of the fireplace into something that felt very much like a body. James must have not moved out of the way fast enough, although the absence of movement was a rarity for the Quidditch player.

"Don't let her see!" a voice called out from farther within the room, but it was too late. James' body had not sufficiently prevented her from getting a lasting glance at the room they had just entered, and the carnage was horrific.

The furniture was everywhere, upturned and ripped with upholster coming out of the wounds. Where legs had not been torn off of chairs and tables, they were deeply gouged, and even the carpet was badly spelled and burned. However, looking at the carpet drew Lily's attention to a tangled heap piled in the middle of the floor. Ducking under James' arm (he didn't even make motion to stop her, being too petrified to move), she made her way in a daze closer to the almost unidentifiable lump.

The faces of Harold and June Potter stared back up at her. Absolutely horrified as she was, Lily couldn't look away from their contorted bodies, their ghastly pale faces which held a mixture of both pain and fierce determination, or the red pool that was slowly spreading through the carpet around where they were laying. Lily could feel her mind shutting down and her body locking up in the kneeling position she had subconsciously fallen to next to the two people who had been the only parents she had known since her own had likewise been murdered, and she would have stayed that way indefinitely if it hadn't been that Sirus' attention was obviously fixed elsewhere.

Lily found it difficult to lift her eyes from the two broken bodies before her, but she slowly raised her head and did not find it hard at all to find at what Sirus was staring. Covering the walls were foot-high letters in a deep red shade that looked almost brown in places. With a start, Lily realized that it was blood, the Potters' blood, and with another start, her mind comprehended the words that were written there.

_They didn't have to die._

_We only wanted the mudblood._

_They died protecting her._

_You could have prevented their suffering by handing over the girl._

It was only then did Lily focus her attention back on James. He was kneeling beside his parents' bodies, their blood soaking his clothes and staining his skin such a violent red that it almost looked as if he had also been attacked. Lily forced her eyes to his face and saw he was sobbing. The silent pain was causing his whole body to convulse, and she knew he was long past trying to control the movement.

In one fluid motion, both Sirus and Lily were by James' side pooling their mutual grief, not speaking, knowing mere words would not comfort them any better than just being together.

When the Aurors were alerted to the scene by the reporting of the Dark Mark hovering over the house, they found the teenagers in the exact same positions, all huddled around one another and the two bodies. No one protested as a nameless Auror helped them off the floor, guided them towards the door, and out into the crisp night air. James paused once at the doorway and turned back, as if memorizing the scene he was leaving, but then he to grabbed hold of the portkey that was spelled to take them to the Ministry of Magic.

Time meant nothing to any of the three once at the Ministry. They had each collapsed onto the couch that was wordlessly offered to them and huddled close together as if afraid the physical distance might make the emotional pain worse. For the most part, James' tears had stopped, but an occasional once trickled down leaving its salty trail on his cheeks. Sirus and Lily hadn't even begun to cry yet for the family that had, more often, been better than their own, so intent were they on trying to physically comfort James with their presence.

None of them knew how long they had been sitting there when a tall shadow was cast over them. The sun had disappeared from where it had been casting its last rays into the Ministry, and now the darkness outside seemed ominous. However, the three looked up blankly and saw Albus Dumbledore standing before them. The usually chipper Headmaster looked grave as he regarded the three teenagers seated before him.

"I cannot express my sorrow for what has happened today and for the loss that all of you have suffered," he began softly, his own pain etched in every word. "Harold and June Potter were incredible individuals and a phenomenal pair. Their loss will be felt keenly throughout the wizarding world."

"Thank you, sir," it seemed that James muttered, but he didn't look up and didn't change his facial expression in the slightest.

"Sir," Sirus spoke up tentatively, "what's going to happen to us now? We can't stay in the Ministry. James doesn't have a home, and Lily and I, we're not exactly welcome into our families anymore."

"Ah, precisely, Mr. Black. I'm bringing all three of you back to Hogwarts for the remainder of the summer holidays. You will be free, of course, to visit Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, providing you let someone know where you will be; your professors are always flitting in and out of the castle."

No one was quiet sure how to respond. Sirus nodded his head in recognition of the words, but not a sound was uttered. Professor Dumbledore clapped his hands together sadly and beckoned them forward.

"Shall we go then?"

For the second time that day, the three young Gryffindors entered the green flames signifying floo travel, hoping that the scene on the other side of the connecting fireplace would be much more cheerful than the first.


	45. Needing One Another

**Overprotected**

Chapter 45: Needing One Another

_Cassie, love,_

_Things have been nightmarish since we left you in Diagon Alley a week ago. As I'm sure you've heard by now, the Potters were murdered by a band of Death Eaters that day, and that's what we stumbled upon when we flooed home. It was ghastly, seeing their broken bodies on the floor, and the blood…inhuman. They were tortured, Cas, not just killed but tortured mercilessly first._

_It's left James as the last Potter, and I don't think I've ever seen him so torn up. He's watched his family decrease slowly over his lifetime (though the rate's picked up shockingly of late), and we're all thinking the same thing: what if he's next? It's horrible to imagine, but we know we're all going to be out there next year. Sometimes, it just doesn't seem possible though. Aren't we still "icky little firsties"?_

_Lily's taken it badly, too. She's blaming herself for their deaths. You see, they left us messages – written in blood! I've never seen anything as gruesome or imaged anything more vile! But they were there, nonetheless, telling us that they were only looking for Lily, that the Potters died protecting her, and that they needn't have suffered – they just had to turn her over to those monsters! She's eating herself up with all of that guilt – not remembering that the Potters wanted to protect people like her, that they would rather die than let anyone harm her. But neither of them can function in the slightest._

_What about me you might ask. Ha. I don't think it's hit yet. It's like I'm still expecting one of them to come into the room at any moment. Maybe it's because I lost one family already that my mind has me convinced that they've just disinherited me. Maybe it's because I'm trying to focus on keeping James and Lily alive. I'm almost afraid when it does hit. James is my brother; the Potters were my parents. I know it's leaving a hole._

_It was…odd when the Aurors took us from the house. Dumbledore collected us from the Ministry and brought us to Hogwarts where we're staying until term begins. They've given us permission to go out so hopefully we'll met up with you, Remus, and Peter in Diagon Alley after we receive our book lists. It all depends how everything comes around on this side of things._

_Please owl back – soon. Anything, any trivial piece of information, even if you don't think I would want to hear it. I need a distraction. It's getting unbearable here._

_All my love,_

_Sirus_

Sirus waited for the ink to dry on the parchment before he folded it up and slipped out of the Gryffindor Common Room. Ever since they had arrived in the castle, the three of them had barely left that one room. The House Elves brought them food three times a day (most of it went untouched) eliminating runs to the Kitchens or Great Hall, and they didn't bother going into their dormitory to sleep, preferring to just collapse on one of the scarlet couches and hope that weariness would overtake them.

As he had told Cassie, it was becoming unbearable cooped up in that one tower, and just even escaping for fifteen minutes to the Owlery was a willing enough distraction. Things were becoming worse in the Tower (as if they had not started off that way originally). James, after that first day at the Ministry, was not letting Sirus anywhere near him. Sure, they would sit in physically close proximity to one another, but it was as if James had gone mute. He refused to talk about anything, even such a distracting subject as Quidditch, preferring to wallow in silence.

Lily was no better. Even though they were all staying in the same room, she always managed to place herself as far away from James as humanly possible. If he was sitting in one of the scarlet armchairs by the fire, it was sure that Lily was perched on the tables in the back, immersing herself in her summer homework or working her way slowly through their textbooks of the past six years.

The whole scene was painful for Sirus to watch. Lily was assuming that James would blame her for his parents' deaths and therefore was giving him the space she thought he desired, but Sirus knew that Lily was the only one who could help James through his grief – she was the one he needed more than any other.

All of this was the theme of Sirus' contemplation on the journey to the Owlery, and once having sent off his letter to Cassie, he continued the same train of thought on the return trip to the Gryffindor Tower. There had to be a way for them to sort out this non-verbal misunderstanding – other than his flat-out announcement to the two of them that they were being bloody idiots and needed to cut out this nonsense. He didn't really want to encourage them, but if it came to that, he supposed he could even deal with that mode of healing.

James didn't reply to Sirus' "Hey, mate," as he walked back into the Common Room so he bypassed the couch for the tables in the back section of the room.

"Hey, Lily-Flower."

Lily barely acknowledged his presence, too absorbed in The Standard Book of Spells Grade Four. Dejected but not surprised, he took a seat on the opposite side of the table from her and began to flip through the Defense Against the Dark Arts book sitting in front of him. It looked like a rather advanced volume, a much higher level than they had reached in classes but not anything that seemed to belong in the Restricted Section of the Library. Sirus could only guess at what she was using it for.

"How are you holding up, Sirus?"

The words were so unexpected that Sirus' hand stopped mid-flip and remained hovering in the air. He didn't answer and felt Lily's eyes finally break from her book to fix on him.

"I know we've really been neglecting you, Sirus. I wouldn't really expect anything different from James," she added quickly, "but you knew them longer than I did. By all rights, I should be comforting you, not…reading. So, how are you, Sirus?"

Sirus finally met her gaze. He slowly opened his mouth to reply but only sighed heavily.

"Don't worry about me, Lily-Flower." He smiled slowly, but every curve was etched with pain. "It hasn't really hit me yet, to be honest. But it's painful watching the two of you." Sirus took another deep breath. "He needs you, Lily."

At his words, Lily looked down, and her face paled visibly. She began to run a nervous hand through her hair, over and over again – a habit that each one of them had picked up from James.

"His parents died because of me. You saw the words. He doesn't need that reminder. Besides, he's been having nightmares because of me."

"How do you know?" Sirus' voice was suddenly sharp.

"I've heard him say my name in his sleep."

Sirus bit back a laugh, and Lily looked up at him alarmed.

"You really think – oh, Lily! Have you really listened to him when he's called for you? He's in pain, he's frightened, and he's looking for you. The only nightmares he'd be having are ones in which you leave him – just like you're doing now."

Lily hung her head. At first, Sirus thought that she was just ignoring his words and going back to her books, but she continued to stare blankly through them.

"What if he doesn't want me, Sirus?" she asked quietly. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Sirus clearly heard the uncertainty laced within her words. From across the room, James twitched.

"He's been my best mate for a long time, Lily-Flower. I know him almost better than he knows himself by now."

Silence pervaded the Common Room as Lily didn't answer. However, this time, Sirus didn't press her any farther. Just from her stance, the slight change in her posture, he knew she would do what she had to – what she needed to – in order to help James through his grief. It was harrowing for Sirus, finally accepting that there were just some things he couldn't do best anymore, but like Remus, he too had come to acknowledge that James and Lily would be there for one another in a way that no one else could.

* * * * *

Later that evening, Lily was found at James' side on the same scarlet couch he had not moved from all day. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, as if, even in sleep, he was afraid that his hold on her was not real – that she might somehow slip from his grasp and be lost to him forever.

Sirus would have had an easier time condoning the sight if he had not been witness to the scene leading up to the reconciliation of the misunderstanding.

After he had talked to Lily, she had sat there so silently for so long that he had thought she wasn't going to act at all – only contemplate his words for the remainder of the summer. Instead of watching her deep in thought, he pulled out some of the reading that he was sure Slughorn would expect them to have read by the start of term and lost himself in the text.

Sometime later, he looked up only to find the chair across from him unoccupied, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw its former occupant making her way slowly across the Common Room.

Lily had stopped in back of the chair James was seated in and paused, for what felt like, to Sirus, an indefinite amount of time. Suddenly, as if altered to her presence, James turned and made eye contact with Lily. As if they had both been shocked by the same spark, they flinched simultaneously and then froze once more.

It had been painful to watch and was still painful to remember, those long moments when the two had danced around one another, not quite sure how to approach but unable to stay away.

Eventually, however, the scene had shifted. James, seemingly unintentionally, stood up, facing Lily. This time, there was no hesitation. Both reached out their arms to one another, and as if no force of nature could hold them apart, they connected. Lily, somehow, ended up on the other side of the couch, and James had taken her to nestle closely against his body.

In that moment, Sirus had felt them shut out the rest of the world, and he had turned away. However, turning away had not allowed his ears to tune out the soft murmurings which had drifted over from the couch to the table.

"I'm hurting you," Lily had whispered, nestling against his chest.

"Only by staying away," James had replied. "Of course I miss them, but I don't regret their choice nor would I give you up to have them back." Sirus had heard the emotion in James' voice and could almost feel the control it had taken him to speak the words without breaking down after each one. "I need you, Flower. Right now, I need you more than air; you are the only thing that's keeping a grasp on my sanity."

Sirus hadn't seen who had begun the kiss; he had only noticed the absence of their quiet voices and turned to look. The passionate embrace – James holding onto Lily as if she was the only presence keeping him attached to the world, Lily leaning up to James taking his pain into her own body – was too much for Sirus to handle, and as the tension melted from James, it flowed into Sirus' body, causing him to jump up and fly out of the room. Sirus hadn't seen what had happened next, and even now, back in the Common Room, he was glad he had not.

However, being back in the Tower was not helping his mood any. His thoughts had taken a more practical turn while he was wandering around the castle, and he had remembered Mrs. Potter promising to take him to look at flats this summer, and now, he realized, that need was more acute than ever. The Potters' will had been read just the other day, leaving everything to James, providing him with a sizable fortune (although a not insignificant amount had been transferred into Sirus' and Lily's accounts). James had also inherited the house which was sold immediately, the money put into a side account for a future residence.

Sirus still had to find his own place, but he knew it would now be the three of them who would be looking at flats (come Christmas, more than likely) and would then be moving in together once they had graduated. At one point in time, this would not have bothered him in the slightest – such as in the days when Lily had come running to him when James had tried to kiss her – but as things were, with James and Lily hovering so close to actually being a couple officially, he didn't want to end up as a third wheel to his best mate. Maybe he would convince Cassie to join them, and Remus and Peter would surely be looking for a place outside of their parents' houses once they were no longer in school. So maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so different than Hogwarts, and he could live with that.

Lily had drifted off to sleep Sirus noticed the next time he chanced to glance over at the pair cuddled on the couch, and she looked calm, too. The usual agony that was always recently etched into her dreaming features was smoothed out, and Sirus thought, even from this distance, that he could see the faint traces of a smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

Until James began to walk towards the tables, Sirus hadn't noticed that the other Gryffindor had caught him staring. Sirus didn't turn away from Lily as James came closer and eventually sat down on the bench where Lily had previously been working. Neither said anything for a few minutes; Sirus was deliberately waiting for James to break the silence.

"What's all of this?" he finally asked Sirus, gesturing to the stacks of books in front of him.

"Lily's," Sirus replied shortly and would have been content with leaving it at that. However, James would not let him be that brief, and Sirus knew he would have to elaborate – and hurt his best mate in the process. "She's been trying to distract herself, mate, and you know Lily: when she doesn't want to think, she works. Unnecessarily. It's been killing her. All of it. Thinking you don't want her, or that you blame her for your parents' deaths. Believing, somehow, that she was causing you pain…"

"That's the last thing I'd want!" James sat in silence for a few moments, mulling over everything that Sirus had just told him. Most of it wasn't that new – Lily had said much of the same earlier – but hearing it from an outside source was, in some ways, worse. "I know I haven't really been…well, here lately. I haven't let you guys back."

"James, mate," Sirus cut in abruptly, "no one expected you to help us. You did just lose your parents. We just wish you had let us help you. We're your mates, James. That's what mates do."  
"I know, I know. I'm just not the only one who just lost their parents." James let his words sink in for a minute before he began speaking once more. "I know they were your parents, too, and Lily's after she lost Luke. We should have all helped each other. I guess, I just wanted to say sorry, mate."

Sirus looked uncomfortably at James for a second before turning his attention over to Lily. She was still asleep on the couch where James had left her, curled up loosely and nestled against the back of the armchair. Even now, without James' presence, she still looked peaceful, and both boys were sure it was the first real night's sleep she had gotten since they had arrived at Hogwarts.

"It's good to see her like that," Sirus commented softly. "She's so…" he struggled for words as James nodded at his previous statement, "…Lily."

Slowly, James cracked a smile. It was a shallow impression of his former jocund nature, but Sirus was nearly overjoyed to see any trace of his almost-brother's pre-mourning nature.

"Maybe we should follow her lead."

Sirus smiled back at James' suggestion.

"Welcome back, mate."


	46. Another Family Torn Apart

**Overprotected**

Chapter 46: Another Family Torn Apart

August had just come upon Hogwarts, and ever since James had acknowledged that he needed Sirus and Lily to help him though his grief, the trio had strengthened their bonds past their pre-mourning closeness. Lately, they had been spending all of their free time down by the Black Lake, and they had even ventured out to meet Cassie in Diagon Alley once. Surprisingly, Sirus had allowed James and Lily to go off on their own in order to give him and Cassie some time together. While they were not yet officially together, James and Lily were no longer being so careful around one another – nor around other people. Yet, Sirus, at least publicly, wasn't making any faces at their secret smiles or the moments that they seemed to create for one another, and Cassie would avouch that every moment she and Sirus spent alone was focused on just them two and their relationship.

At the moment, the sun was just setting on the castle as the three Gryffindors were making their way inside and up to the Gryffindor Tower. They weren't talking, but there wasn't really much to be said – each one just content to be with the others.

However, a bump in their normally smooth routine was waiting for them in the Common Room.

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked, concerned, as she saw the figure sitting dejected on one of the scarlet armchairs once the portrait hole had swung open.

"The same thing you three are, I suppose," Remus answered, lifting his head from his hands and looking at the three entering the Common Room for the first time.

Lily grasped what his words meant immediately and ran to him, throwing her arms around him.

"Oh, Remus! I'm so sorry, Rem."

"When, mate?" Sirus asked, both boys stepping over to the sandy-haired werewolf. Remus was looking paler than they had ever seen, and he had a fresh scar running down the length of one arm and the hint of a nasty yellowing bruise peaking out from under one of his shirtsleeves. At the same time, James asked, "How did it happen?"

"It was the night of the full moon," Remus replied in response to Sirus' inquiry, pausing briefly before launching into his explanation to fulfill James' question. Involuntarily, all four Gryffindors' glances flickered to one of the windows in the Common Room in which the waning moon was clearly visible. Remus shuttered.

"Greyback came to my house with a few specialized Death Eaters he's trained for this sort of attack. I guess he wasn't content visiting my father just once." Remus sighed bitterly. "My transformation had already taken place when I heard scuffling in the house above me. Somehow, I got into the scene of the battle and lunged into the fray. I don't really remember. I woke up the next morning in some room of the Ministry with the two mangled bodies of my parents next to me. I can't tell you how torturous it was, sitting in there with them, not knowing if I had been the one responsible for their deaths." His voice broke here, and Lily looked away quickly. "It wasn't until at least a day later that someone came back and told me what they had found. Along with whatever they had concluded from the bodies – and me – and the Death Eater they had managed to capture and question, it seems that I lunged for Greyback, we fought, and then he killed my parents when they tried to interfere. They died trying to save me."

"Join the club, mate," James muttered darkly.

"It was a quick death though, and at least they didn't become monsters, like him – like me. For that, I'm grateful."

Lily threw her arms around Remus once more. "You're not a monster, Rem. Don't ever think that! And – and don't ever let the fact that they died to protect you eat away at you. They died because they loved you and wanted you to know that. They wouldn't take it back so don't regret it or think that they would have."

All three boys saw how difficult it was for Lily to force out those sentiments aimed at easing Remus' guilt. She almost ended it several times but forced herself to keep going. James and Sirus winced and Remus sent them a questioning look.

"You didn't hear how my parents died, did you?" James asked tentatively.

"Not much gets into the Profit these days, James," Remus responded sadly. "Not even such as prominent family as yours gets the coverage they deserve."

"In this case, it probably wasn't a bad thing," James murmured before telling the tale that the other two had burned into their memories at this point. "There's not really that much to tell, actually. We were in Diagon Alley with Cassie when it took place and found them when we flooed home. They had been tortured before they were killed – so much that they were laying in pools of their own blood. A team of Aurors took us to the Ministry, and then Dumbledore brought us here."

"No, he's editing," Lily said quickly, seeing the slightly dubious look on Remus' face. Her voice suddenly dropped down to a whisper. "The Death Eaters left a message for us: they said that the Potters didn't have to die. They…they were only killed –" Lily looked down and forced the next three words out, "– because of me. They wrote on the walls in the Potters' blood. It's horrific."

"This is bigger than all of us, isn't it?" Remus replied, more to himself than anyone else. He then turned to James. "I'm sorry for your loss, James, and I can say that with total sincerity because I know exactly how it feels. We're all floating in the same boat now, it seems – or we're all trying to keep from drowning would be more appropriate, I suppose – and that's going to be the major factor in what happens here. Now and over the course of our lives, probably. Because I doubt this will end that quickly."

"Don't feel like you have to be strong for us, mate. James moped around until just a few days ago, Lily ignored everything except that pile of books over that, and I tried just no to think."

"We know you're hurting, Rem," Lily added gently, pushing back the memories she had uncovered herself. "We all are. Do what you have to do."

"Thanks, guys, but this is what I have to do. Having you three here is the best thing that could have happened to me – under these circumstances. I don't want to forget, but I need to do something. They made their choice, and I'm making mine: when the time comes, I'm taking down as many as I can before I go."

None of the other three could have put it any better.

* * * * *

Remus soon fell into the normal routine of the lives of James, Sirus, and Lily. They often spent their mornings (well, the hour or so after they had all woken up) doing homework. Lily would often continue with her reading next to Sirus, having already finished her work, until he got bored and called it quits for the day by leaving the Tower. James and Remus would then usually continue their studies until his inevitable return, upon which they would wrap everything up and move on to something more enjoyably distracting.

"Dumbledore wants to see the three of you in his office," Sirus said one afternoon while reentering the Common Room. "The password's 'lemon drop'."

Sirus barely noticed as the three glanced up at him, obviously startled and confused. They each seemed to be struggling with what statement or question they wanted to have addressed first. Still playing the part of the oblivious messenger, Sirus ignored them and plopped down in one of the scarlet armchairs.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" He looked pointedly at them, for the first time since his entrance.

"I guess he's back then," James finally settled for saying. Sirus nodded while he shrugged.

"Do you know what he wants?" Remus questioned, shutting his Transfiguration book as James pushed aside the questions he was answering.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Sirus replied. "He said nothing of it to me."

"Well, let's not keep him waiting then," James eventually decided. He and Remus rose from the table they were seated at to make their way out of the Common Room. "Come on, Flower," he added upon perceiving Lily's inactivity.

More slowly than either of the boys, she shut the Defense Against the Dark Arts book she was skimming through and followed James and Remus out of the Common Room.

Each of the three peculated silently as they made their way down to the Headmaster's office. When they arrived at their destination, they gave the password, as each of them was much accustomed to doing. The stone gargoyle moved silently aside, and they were told to enter even before Remus had the chance to knock on the door to Professor Dumbledore's office.

The Headmaster was seated in front of the three Gryffindors, and he gestured to the chairs on the other side of his desk once the door swung shut behind them. A light smile stood out on his face, and his blue eyes were twinkling with the glow that had been absent from them the past couple of times they had seen him. He chuckled lightly as they sat down, some form of anxiety written on each of their faces.

"Good afternoon," he said amiably once they were seated. "What have the three of you been keeping yourselves entertained with?"

"Not much," each of the three replied quickly.

"Have you been getting yourselves into trouble?"

"No, sir," Lily answered automatically.

"Then, please, relax. You have not been called here to be punished – rather the opposite." Professor Dumbledore began to absent-mindedly turn over three shiny objects before him. "As you may be aware, the beginning of term will be upon us in a few short weeks, and of course, that means the students will presently be receiving their Hogwarts letters. Speaking of which," he pulled four envelopes off of his desk, "here are yours – if one of you could kindly convey his to Mr. Black.

"As you each may also recall, these letters often contain other notifications, and without much further ado, Mr. Potter, Miss Evans, it is my pleasure to inform you both that you have been chosen by your professors and myself to be this year's Head Boy and Girl." He handed both James and Lily a badge and another sheet of parchment. "Please accept my deepest congratulations. It is a high honor to be chosen, and we all have the utmost faith in the two of you. Those letters will explain more of your duties and what you should try to accomplish before the start of term. And don't hesitate to come to either myself or Professor McGonagall with any questions you may have."

Professor Dumbledore smiled broadly at the two students he had just been addressing before turning, with the same smile toward a slightly confused-looking Remus.

"Ah, Mr. Lupin," he continued brightly, "I am sure you are wondering why this pertains to you. As it appears that we have lost both of our seventh year Gryffindor Prefects, I now turn to you and ask if you would once more consent to serving as a Prefect for your house. As there are no female seventh years besides Miss Evans in Gryffindor, her position will remain vacant, but we would like to have at least one representative from your year and house."

"Professor, I wasn't a very good Prefect the first year."

"Nonsense, Mr. Lupin. None of the staff here believed so, and if I'm not mistaken, Miss Evans was quite shocked and upset when informed of your resignation last year. Being a good Prefect does not always mean being a good disciplinarian; it also means leading by example, something of which you do a superb job, Mr. Lupin."

"Alright, I'll do it," Remus replied after a pause, sounding resigned. He glanced over to see Lily smiling softly, and even Professor Dumbledore seemed to be slightly more at ease.

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin. Here is your badge and a reminder of your duties." Professor Dumbledore handed Remus the object that he had been fingering earlier and another sheet of parchment. "Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask myself or Professor McGonagall. And of course, Mr. Potter and Miss Evans will be more than happy to help you." He smiled at them broadly. "While your stay in the castle has not been brought about by the most pleasant means, I sincerely hope that the accommodations have been more than adequate?"

Three heads nodded vigorously at their Headmaster.

"In that case, let me once more convey my deepest congratulations on your posts, and remind you of the prudence of friendship: no matter life's difficulties, they are made infinitely lighter burdens when shared with the ones you love." His gaze flickered over Remus and Lily before, landing and hesitating slightly, on James. "And now, I believe you would like to share your news with Mr. Black. Good day."

James, Remus, and Lily knew themselves to be dismissed and could figure nothing better to do than chime back their own "good day"s before leaving the office. Once back in the corridor, Rmeus tried to lead the other two up to the Gryffindor Common Room, but he was prevented from doing so by Lily's embracing him from behind.

"Oh thank you, Remus!" she gushed as he turned to face her, the whole time having no choice but to remain in her arms. "You have no clue what this means to me, or how happy it makes me!"

"I think I have a small inkling," he replied, smiling faintly, as she released him. Remus then turned to James. "And congratulations, mate. Head Boy. _And__ a Marauder_. But really, I know you'll be brilliant."

"Thanks, Remus, but we all know that it's your position – or at least should have been," James insisted. "Dumbledore must be off his rocker. At least he had enough sense to convince you to come back and make sure that I don't bangle the job too badly."

"If I had wanted Head Boy, I wouldn't have given up my spot as a Prefect. Dumbledore knows you're the man for the job; that's why he chose you."

James laughed light-heartedly and almost rolled his eyes. "Well, at least it's not Snape."

At this point, Lily, who had been following their conversation intently, turned away abruptly and began to walk to the Tower.

"Let's go tell Sirus," she called back to the boys. "He's probably wondering what's happened to us."

James and Remus looked at each other with raised eyebrows before catching up with Lily and falling into step on either side of her. Neither mentioned her abrupt departure but instead began to toss around ideas for the upcoming year and substitutions for the annual meeting on the Hogwarts Express.

"Why don't we have Cassie run it?" Lily suggested at one point. "I'm sure we'll see her before term starts; we can tell her what she has to cover, and as a seventh year Ravenclaw, they should listen to her – even the Slytherins. It won't be a repulsive as having a younger Gryffindor giving the instructions. Plus, we still have that parchment so she can be in almost constant contact with us if she needs anything."

James nodded almost immediately as Remus thought over the plan in a little more detail. Evidentially finding nothing wrong with it, he also gave his consent.

"It sounds good," he added. "The Prefects should all listen, and if they don't, they'll have to answer to McGonagall anyway. No one should question why you're not there – I mean the whole world has heard what's happened by now, and if they haven't I'm sure the Slytherins will fill them in."

Lily gave a start and turned suddenly to Remus, although she did not stop walking.

"I thought you didn't believe that Death Eaters could join so young?" she questioned quickly, her eyes narrowing. "Or that all Slytherins are Death Eaters or future Death Eaters?"

"I don't!" he exclaimed throwing his hands up in defense. "I don't believe the Death Eaters would take students," he continued more slowly. "But most of their parents are Death Eaters, former students are Death Eaters – they've sent plenty to Azkaban already – word gets around. Most of the major murders haven't been covered in the Profit, but rumors spread – sometimes the tales even hold some truth. I'm just saying people know."

"You didn't," Lily pointed out.

"My parents aren't – weren't Death Eaters," Remus replied. "Or Ministry officials. Regular people have to rely on the Profit, which is why we're done for if they start to control the media."

Lily let the matter drop, and Remus didn't offer up anything more. They walked the last floor to the Gryffindor Tower in silence. Upon reaching the Portrait Hole, they gave the Fat Lady the password and entered the Common Room. Sirus was just walking down the stairs from their dormitory as the Portrait Hole swung shut, and he met them half way across the room. Before he could speak, Remus handed him a sheet of parchment.

"Supply list for next term," he explained before Sirus could ask. Sirus glanced over it briefly then tossed it aside.

"So what did Dumbledore want?" he questioned anxiously.

"Lily and James are the new Heads."

"And Remus is a Prefect again," Lily added eagerly before Sirus could turn his attention on the pair.

Sirus was silent for a moment, as if weighing his replies. Finally, he spoke.

"Well, that's great, guys. Congratulations!" There was a short pause. "So what does this mean, now?"

The other three looked slightly confused and unsettled at his question.

"It means," James said eventually, "that you better get used to spending a lot of time with Peter."

That had done it: James' simple statement had broken the tension after Sirus' question.

"Hey," Sirus replied with mock-indignation once the laughter had quieted down a bit, "Lay off the kid. He's going to be my new best mate this year!"

"Oh no you don't!" James exclaimed, shoving Sirus, an action which erupted into a full-blown scuffle between the two boys.

"Enough! Enough!" Lily called while working her way between the two. "What this means, Sirus, is that we have to owl Cassie. It's time to go to Diagon Alley."

The three boys grinned eagerly, but each one was fighting to keep the feature in place. No one could forget the horror that had ensued from this trip last year.


	47. More Malfoy

**Overprotected**

Chapter 47: More Malfoy

James, Sirus, Remus, and Lily met up with Cassie inside of the Leaky Cauldron early the next week to do their supply shopping as they had planned. Predictably, they had also written to Peter to inform him of their plans, but as had been happening of late, he didn't answer. Still, the other five went ahead with their trip, knowing that the other boy would have an explanation for them later when they met him at Hogwarts.

After spending the morning stocking up on Potion supplies, parchment, quills, and other smaller necessities, the five stopped for a bite of lunch, eating outside to get a chance to bask in the warm sunlight. As they ate, they talked and watched the varied wizards and witches hurry by, sometimes seeing their classmates and then exchanging a few casual words or letting them pass by without another glance, as occasion called. At least one dark cloak whipped out of sight into a side street, but nothing attracted special notice.

"My parents were considering not sending me back to Hogwarts this year," Cassie informed the group once Remus had filled her in on the details of his parents' deaths – trying to leave out some of the more trivial ones that pointed to his own conditions.

"That's crazy!" Sirus blurted out. "The safest place to be is where Dumbledore is, and that place is Hogwarts!"

"I know," Cassie tried to pacify. "That's what I told them, and after singing his praises for so many years – he taught them both Transfiguration – they had to agree. I'm coming back, but they're not happy about it."

"How long has this been going on?"

"All summer, pretty much. The magnitude of death hasn't helped at all, and somehow they found out about Lily getting attacked in Hogsmeade. As you can imagine, that did not rest in my favor. But honestly, I'd rather have something happen to me at Hogwarts than anywhere else. I trust our professors and Madam Pomfrey; I'm not sure about the rest of the world."

The group sat in silence for a few minutes finishing up their lunches and digesting what Cassie had just said along with their food. Cassie was the first one to speak again.

"Remus," she began slowly, "I'm sorry, I don't want to bring it up again, but…–" She hesitated. "– where were you when your parents were attacked? And everything about Greyback…it seems like he's after your family. Have you met him before?"

"My father upset him a while ago," Remus replied after a moment, mostly evading her questions, "and Greyback's been after him ever since. He…he…" Remus was struggling for words, debating internally how much he wanted to tell Cassie, how much he thought she could handle – or perhaps how much he trusted her. Finally, he settled on the whole truth. "I'm a werewolf." He didn't look up to gauge her reaction. She didn't respond. "He attacked on a full moon so I had already transformed. I think I tried to save them, but either way, they were mangled and killed. It was Greyback who first bit me. He positions himself on full moons so that he can attack as many as possible."

Remus finished then, waiting for her reaction. Cassie was the first person he had actually told that he was a werewolf; the Marauders – Lily, actually – had figured it out on their own then confronted him. He had never volunteered the information. All of the sudden, he felt vulnerable.

"I don't care, Remus," Cassie said finally, and the whole table let out the breath they hadn't realized they were holding. "I can see you're worried about my reaction, but it doesn't change my opinion of you. You didn't just admit to murder; you simply told me something that you can't control. It's no different than having an anger problem. It's not your fault."

Cassie clearly had more to say, but a light sound to her left made her stop and turn her head. Lily was trying to stifle laughter next to her. The young Gryffindor looked up as four heads suddenly focused their attention on her.

"What?" she asked innocently. "Cassie's statement about 'anger problems' just reminded me of how we always say it's your 'furry little problem'."

"Yeah, people always think I have a misbehaving rabbit or the like," Remus muttered.

"Oh, lighten up, Rem," Lily said blithely, the hint of laughter still in her voice. "You told Cassie, and she's fine with it. Let's get back to have a wonderful day away from the castle."

"I thought you liked it there?"

"I do, James, don't misunderstand me. We're just not going to get out of there until the end of the year. Except Hogsmeade visits – if they even let us go by the time the first one rolls around. I'm getting my fill of the outside world now."

"You never seemed unhappy staying before you went to Luke's."

"The alternate was my parents' house; any cage is better than that one."

The tone in her voice suggested, demanded even, that the topic was closed to conversation. Cassie glanced at the three boys, and only Sirus shook his head as to say that he would tell her later, when they were alone. Instead, they changed the direction of conversation and debated about where their next shopping stop would be. After a minute or two of discussion, they paid the bill and decided to head to Flourish and Blotts to finally face the nightmare from last year.

"You have to understand why we're not going to leave you this year, Flower," James was saying as he followed Lily who was perusing the store, per usual. "And I don't want to hear that you can take care of yourself. Your luck, Malfoy's lurking outside of the shop right now, waiting for us to make the same mistake a third time. Well that's not going to happen, I assure you."

"I know, James," she replied softly, turning away from the shelves and stacks of books to meet his eyes. "And if our situations were reversed, I would do the exact same thing. I don't want to lose you anymore than you want to lose me. But were you in my place and I in yours, you would want to have some freedom, too."

"I _don't_ want to lose you, Flower," he said softly while glancing quickly around them, "and I am going to make sure that I am wherever you are forever."

Positive that Sirus wasn't in the area, James leaned down and kissed Lily softly on the lips. He wasn't hesitant as he had always been but sure of himself now, and of her. When they broke apart, he didn't apologize, instead took her free hand, which wasn't holding an armful of books, in his own.

"I wish we could be together, Lily. Truly together. Even just to be able to hold your hand down the streets or dance with you without anyone caring."

"James, you know it, I know it: I don't want anyone else. I never have; I never will. We know it will happen eventually, we just have to play this game for Sirus a little longer. You and I both know he can't prevent it. He knows that, too, but if it makes him happier to believe that he has some control in a world that is otherwise spinning out of his grasp…will you deny him that? He's your brother in every way but birth, he'll want you happy too, and he'll accept it.

"Come on, let's find the others. I'm ready to go."

James kissed her once more, enjoying the solitude the shelves provided, enjoying the fact that she was enjoying it, too. It was amazing, all things considering, to see how much had changed after the years, especially between the two of them. He had loved her for so long; there could be no denying that she had always loved him as well, but it had finally evolved from a brotherly love into a love that would transcend life and death. A love that bound them closer than they would ever be bound to anyone else.

"Alright, let's find the others," he finally replied, and Lily was happy to see a real smile spread across his face, the first one since his parents had died. If she could cause that, she knew they'd be all right in the end.

Minutes later, when the five students had purchased their books, they decided to tempt fate once more and journey next to Quality Quidditch Supplies. They walked out of Flourish and Blotts into the same side alley that Lily had entered last year in an unconscious defensive position. James was standing in the middle, slightly in front of the other four, flanked on either side by Sirus and Remus. In between James, at the point, and Sirus stood Cassie, and Lily was sandwiched between James and Remus.

Four of the group were laughing and joking, all traces of the morning's tension gone, but Lily kept quiet huddled in between James and Remus, her eyes constantly darting around, her head whipping in any direction in which she sensed motion. The movement did not go unnoticed by neither James nor Remus, and they cast uneasy glances at one another over her head.

A sudden swish of cloak made them all rivet their attention to the same place, and a figure in front of them made them stop in their tracks. Appearing before them in less than a blink of an eye was Lucius Malfoy. The boys immediately pushed the girls behind them and reached for their wands.

"I wouldn't do that," he warned directly, already twirling his wand between his fingers before pointing it lazily at each of the three boys in turn. His eyes, however, never left Lily. "I see you have your guard this time. So they're learning."

"What do you want, Malfoy?" James demanded, taking a dangerous step forward.

"Didn't the deaths of your parents teach you anything?" Malfoy sneered aiming a spell at James' feet but still never letting his eyes leave Lily. "_You_ don't have to die."

"Why me?" Lily asked while James and Remus tried again to block her from the Death Eater.

"Because," he replied simply, danger emanating from every pore, "you're a mudblood."

In that instant, Lily collapsed from a spell shot between the arms of James and Remus, but before any of the other four could as so much as draw their wands, Lucius Malfoy turned on his heel and disapperated. No one bothered to watch for his return. They immediately dropped down next to the fallen girl. Even as they reached her level, she was already beginning to stir.

"Don't move," Remus instructed as Lily tried to sit up. "What did he do?"

"I'm fine," she insisted. "It just felt like he turned all of my muscles and bones to mush."

"Anything else?" Remus questioned frantically, quickly scanning her exposed skin to check for any bleeding or even just bruises. "Do you feel faint or dizzy?"

"No. Can I get up now?"

Remus and the others lifted her gently into a sitting position, and then, after once more checking her over fully, helped her to her feet. They watched her get her bearings for a few seconds and take a few hesitant steps, all the while watching and waiting to catch her if she should make any indication of stumbling. Once she seemed sure of herself (regardless of how sure of her the others were), she turned back to the remaining four.

"Shall we continue?" she asked trying desperately to keep her voice steady instead of betraying how shaken up she actually was.

"Are you sure?" James asked, watching her carefully, looking for any sign of instability. "We have everything we came fore. It won't be a problem for us to just go back. I'm sure Dumbledore would even let Cassie visit for a while if you wanted – if that's what's keeping you here."

"I'm fine, James," Lily insisted, "just a little unsettled because he keeps finding _me_." But he didn't do anything to me. Besides, we wouldn't want our Qudditch team to lose the Cup this year because our two stars aren't properly equipped."

"Don't be brave, Lily," James commanded as a shudder ran down the length of her body. "What was that?"

"I'm fine, James," Lily said again, trying to be persuasive. Instead of waiting for him to answer, she turned away and began to walk out of the alley. James reached out a hand to stop her, but she brushed him off, leaving the other four with no choice but to follow her.

There were a couple of times that they saw her almost stumble, but something in her posture kept them from reaching out to steady her. At this point, it didn't seem too much for her, and they knew that forcing her to show weakness would just force her to try to be even more self-reliant. So they let her be.

However, someone always had their eyes on her, from the alley next to Flourish and Blotts through the entire time they were in Quality Quidditch Supplies. In fact, multiple pairs of eyes were often on her. She tried to ignore their protective gazes, but their stares only emphasized the fact that she was still feeling light-headed and was exerting all of her focus and energy trying not to collapse every five steps.

Sirus was the one who finally put his foot down.

"I think we're going to take her back to the castle," he said quietly, watching as another shudder ran down the length of her body.

Cassie nodded quickly. "She can't stay here. She needs to rest. Are you going to take her to Pomfrey?"

"She'll insist that she's fine, but we all know she needs the help. When it gets too much, we'll take her to whoever's in the castle at the moment. I only hope it's Dumbledore or Pomfrey or someone else who knows what they're doing."

Cassie nodded again. "Let's go then."

Quickly agreeing, Sirus led Cassie over to where Lily was standing with Remus just in time to see Remus catch her as she nearly toppled into the display in front of her. She didn't even seem to have the strength to push him off once she was back on her own feet. It was alarming to see her allow him to continue to support her as long as he was – a clear indication of her deteriorating condition.

"We're leaving, Lily-Flower," Sirus told her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw James striding purposely over to their little gathering. "Don't argue," he added without a second thought before realizing that she didn't seem in any state to dispute what he was saying.

James didn't ask questions as they headed for the entrance, Sirus leading the way without any word of explanation. Lily continued to lean heavily on Remus the whole way back to the Leaky Cauldron, something of which no one made any mention. It took everything they had not to quicken their pace, but they were held in check by not wanting to attract attention or solicit help and by the fact that Lily probably couldn't make a faster pace.

"Do you want to come back to the castle with us?" Sirus asked Cassie as they were getting ready to floo out of Diagon Alley.

"I'd really better get home," she answered sadly with a regretful shake of her head. "My mum's probably going crazy as it is, and," she added in a lower voice, "you probably need to take her to see someone. She's not getting any better."

With that, Cassie bid everyone farewell, threw a handful of the green powder into the flames and disappeared. The three boys quickly sent Lily back to Hogwarts next and then James followed her only seconds later. Sirus and Remus were just about to follow when they were spotted by Molly Prewett and Arthur Weasley who had recently gotten engaged. Of course, they had heard of the deaths of the Potters and the Lupins and wanted to express their deepest sympathies. They would have stayed longer to catch up, but Mrs. Prewett had sent them out with a very strict time limit.

The two former Gryffindors bid good day to the two current ones, finally allowing Sirus and Remus to floo back to the castle. They both saw almost exactly the same scene upon their arrival: only a couple of steps away from the Gryffindor Common Room fireplace, James was crouching over a fallen Lily. She was curled tightly in a ball while James frantically tried to sooth her, but Sirus and Remus could tell it wasn't helping. Although he didn't acknowledge them consciously, they shift in his body posture, as if giving the other two room to join him, let Sirus and Remus know that James had noticed their entrance.

They rushed over and knelt down, too.

"What happened, James?"

James barely took his attention away from Lily to answer Sirus' question.

"I don't know!" he exclaimed frantically. "I got here just in time to see her collapse on the floor. She just went down, so suddenly."

"Is McGonagall still here?" Sirus asked. "Take her. Someone should know about today anyway."

"No…"

All attention was riveted back to Lily. It was the first anyone had heard her speak since they had come back to Hogwarts, even if it came out as a weak moan. At once, they were calling her name, seeing if she could give them any clues as to what was happening.

"Find her," James commanded.

"No…"

The moan escaped Lily's lips once more. She made an attempt to stretch and rise, but a fresh ripple of pain cascaded down her body causing her to curl up again. James nodded once at Sirus and turned back to Lily before the other boy had even dashed out of the Common Room.

Neither James nor Remus said much while waiting for Sirus to return. Mostly, they watched as Lily went through the same motions she had just experienced. The pain would lessen, and she would begin to move until the onset of a fresh wave, causing her to curl back up in a ball. It was frightening for the two boys to watch, especially frightening because they were utterly helpless to improve her condition.

"He should have taken the Map," Remus said at one point.

"He did," James replied, and they lapsed back into silence.

Almost thirty minutes later, Sirus came clamoring back through the Portrait Hole. James and Remus looked up, for the first time, startled by something outside their sphere of Lily.

"I couldn't find McGonagall," he panted, coming to sit down beside Lily once more. "I don't think she's in the castle. But I ran into Dumbledore. He's on his way up. I told him what happened so we won't have to waste time now with stories."

Seconds later, it seemed, the Headmaster climbed through the Portrait Hole into the Gryffindor Tower. His pace suggested no worry or strain, but something in his manner said that he had dropped everything in his haste to be here. Professor Dumbledore walked over to Lily and crouched down in the space where the boys had made room for him next to her. They didn't speak as he waved his wand over her silently, only his mouth forming the worlds that he wasn't saying. After a few moments, he rose suddenly, only to levitate Lily onto a nearby table and continued to work over her.

It seemed, to the three students, to take ages, but eventually, Lily began to stir. Professor Dumbledore pushed down her efforts to rise, and by and by, she began to stop struggling. In the next minute, she blinked her eyes open a few times and looked around as the surroundings came into focus.

"Headmaster…?" she asked dubiously.

"Yes, Lily," he replied. "Can you tell me how you feel? Don't get up," he added, seeing her try to rise.

She stayed lying obediently.

"Better." She thought for a moment. "Like every muscle in my body has disappeared – or turned to mush – but the pain's gone."

"Were you in terrible pain?"

Lily only nodded. "I only felt weak when he first hit me with the spell. It knocked me down at first, but I was shocked not hurt. The pain only came later, in waves."

"That's what I thought." The Headmaster nodded. His lack of questions made her extremely aware of how little she was saying.

"They told you what happened, sir?"

"Yes, Lily. I found Mr. Black looking for – Professor McGonagall, I believe. She will be here in a few days, but I am quite glad we ran into one another. This is a very old spell and so few have such great knowledge of it. Its initial intent is not to harm the victim but to lure him into a false state of security, from which it will later incapacitate him – or her. I had not seen its use for many years – probably more years than any of you have been alive. Lord Voldemort's supporters are being to come out into the open. I was afraid of this."

Although the Headmaster had begun his words directed at Lily, he ended up speaking to himself. The four in front of him felt themselves drawn back into focus as he once more remembered he was not alone.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you," he continued, once more directing his words toward Lily, "but I have only taken away the pain temporarily. It will come back, with a vengeance perhaps, but much less frequently than before. Tonight, I can only ask you to bear the pain, but by tomorrow morning, Madam Pomfrey may be able to be in the castle. She will know better than I the proper doses of the potions I wish to administer."

He then turned to the boys. "Watch out for her. It may be more than she can bear, but she has to bear it only until tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Professor," one of them replied, probably Remus. In situations such as these, James and Sirus were more likely to resent the figure of authority instead of keeping the proper demeanor. It was extremely difficult hearing, without any softening, that Lily was going to be in immense pain for at least the next twelve hours.

"At least he told us the truth this time," Remus said later that night after the Headmaster had left, replying to Sirus' outburst on Professor Dumbledore's blunt honesty.

They had been talking ever since Professor Dumbledore had left the Common Room, trying to keep Lily's attention. Their topics varied greatly – from the amusing to the horrific – anything to keep her mind off of her own body. They didn't direct specifics at her but left room in between their words in case she was up to filling in their gaps. At first, James didn't join in, only wanting to support Lily with his presence, but one covert glance from Remus made him change his stance on the matter. He jumped into the conversation with a renewed vigor.

Sometimes, Lily thought she was able to hide the pain. She pressed her lips together and stared over Sirus' head as small shudders wreaked havoc on her nerves. The three boys noticed every time but chose not to comment; they knew it was a small triumph for her if she could make herself believe she was besting the pain.

The more intense pain was harder to hide. Her body tensed in response, in order to combat curling into a tight ball. She knew that a fetal position did nothing to lessen the agony, and thus she fought it. These were the times that James' arms wrapped even more securely around her, although she could not feel them in those moments. That was when the three would talk louder, trying all the harder to capture and keep her attention. They did not know that she couldn't hear them at those times, and it was probably better that they never had to find out.

As the Headmaster had promised, Madam Pomfrey was at Hogwarts early the next morning. She hadn't even dropped anything off in her office before coming straight to the Gryffindor Tower, and for once, not even Lily was regretting her presence.

Lily had had a very bad night. The events of the day had completely exhausted her, but she was unable to sleep. Every time she had begun to drift off, Malfoy's curse would once more flare, making it impossible for her to reach unconsciousness. Within seconds of seeing her, Madam Pomfrey had gauged this and administered a sleeping potion to her.

As if on cue, Professor Dumbledore walked into the Common Room and began to discuss Lily's condition with the nurse. James, Sirus, and Remus stood to one side, letting the two adults discuss the finally unconscious Lily. However, they shortly began to administer various doses of assorted potions, leaving detailed instructions for the boys – and Lily, when she awoke.

It was at least two hours later when the two adults finally left the Tower and left its residents alone again. Surprisingly, they did not insist that Lily be taken to the Hospital Wing for her recovery, and they even explained, in detail, their reasoning for allowing her to remain. They were all grateful, especially Lily who, from past experiences, was trying to hardest to stay out of the Hospital Wing.

Luckily, the last few weeks before tern began flew by, as did Lily's recovery. The doses Madam Pomfrey prescribed worked like magic – as they were supposed to – and almost all traces of the pain were gone before the students were scheduled to arrive back at Hogwarts – and before the next full moon.


End file.
